senpai/kohai system

[kendokamax]

I would like to have people's opinion on the senpai kohai system.

I personaly dont like it.

I just cant understand why just because of a matter of age (sometimes not even 1 year) and seniority in a place. That a person should placed higher. But since everyone has the chance to become someones senpai later on. I guess in Japan for Japanese that can work.

But as goes as personal experience in training in kendo in a school in Japan: For a foreigner (and I will be here only for 1 year) it is impossible to become part of the system. In many ways it is good because I dont need to make chores or bow to everyone in the cafeteria but in return I cant "suffer"'/live the same thing as the other Japanese student in my club. In the university there is 4 grades, and clearly you see 4 different groups. There is not really any friends between the different grades. All the good friends are made in the same group. Making foreigner like me apart of all these groups. It can be very difficult to really feel accepted. (maybe with more time..?).


Give me your opinions!

[Nishi]

In my dojo we only refer to the top student as sempai, everyone else is club mates. Sempai helps in organization and keeps things in order for sensei to teach, starts class,warmups suburi and ends class, thats all. Sempai in our dojo dosnt have to be highest ranking student either, our sensei chooses this individual for their ability to fit the responsibility, usually a dan grade though.

We still sit in accordance to our ranks, from lowest grade to highest (closest to kamizan) then Sempai. We have no real sempai/kohai mentoring system. If sensei tells you to do something then do it, if anyone else gives you advice, try it. I loved sitting at the bottom of the row and causing chaos to those who sat above me.... :devious:

[xvikingx]

Senpai/kohai system is an important roll in Japanese society. It can be found anywhere. Since you are a foreigner and you wont be here more than a year dont worry about it.

By the way... Wheres my Budo U. info??? :normal:

[nodachi]

Enjoy not being part of the loop that is Japanese ettiquete and sempai/kohai. Try to follow their rules and such, of course, but when you opps because you don't know any better, it is nice to be able to claim gaijin imunity because you just didn't know how to act in a particular situation in the acceptable Japanese way.

I found it difficult how some people in Japan don't let foreigners close to them (on a personal level) or have any sort of friendships because we supposedly can't or don't understand their customs and just what it means to be Japanese. However, you haven't been there that long if I remember correctly, so give it time. It takes awhile, but eventually if given enough time, you start to find more groups to be apart of and you see less of the clicks (sp?).

Even though the being a foreigner thing prevents us from making real friendships in Japan quickly, Just enjoy being able to write off your social oopps situations because you are a foreigner. There are some advantages to the being a foreigner thing, despite the frustrations of it as well.

[kendomushi]

Nodachi makes a good point. It is much easier to be a foriegner in Japan (provided you try to learn, understand, and fit in - even if you fail miserably at it) than it is to be a Japanese in Japan.
As a foriegner, if you try, everyone thinks you are wonderful. Even if everything you do ends up as a social blunder.
But a Japanese is expected to know the right things and be right in every case. Any failure, no matter how insignificant, brings them down several steps in everyones estimation.