Understanding Senpai-Kohai Relationship Culture in Japan | Learn Japanese Online with SuraPera (2024)

Have you ever heard of “Senpai” (先輩) and “Kohai” (後輩) relationships which are unique to Japan?

Many of you may have heard of the words “Senpai” and “Kohai” themselves in Japanese manga, novels, and anime. They are not something that exist only in stories, but the Senpai-Kohai relationships are common in everyday life in Japan.

In this post, I will introduce what are the “Senpai-Kohai” relationships and in what situations they are used. I will also introduce several other words related to personal relationships in Japan, so please read this post through the end.

What are “Senpai” and “Kohai”?

Those of you who like Japanese entertainment such as anime, movies, dramas, manga, and novels may be familiar with the words “Senpai” and “Kohai,” but do you understand what are they?

First, “Senpai (先輩)” refers to those who are ahead (先) of you, in other words, those who are older than you, or those who entered your company or school before you, regardless of their age. On the other hand, “Kohai (後輩)” are those who come after (後) you, in other words, those who are younger than you or those who join your company or school later than you.

For example, suppose you are now a sophom*ore at a four-year college. Then, junior and senior students at the same university are “Senpai” and fresher are “Kohai”. The same is true in the case of a company. If you are in your second year at a company, employees who have been with the company for three years or more are “Senpai” and those in their first year are “Kohai.”

Relationships between Senpai and Kohai

Now that you know the meaning of the words, let’s look at what kind of relationship Senpai and Kohai have and in what situations they are used.

First of all, Senpai and Kohai are in a hierarchical relationship, with Senpai being the superior and Kohai being the inferior. In Japan, there is a long-established culture of respect for elders. In most cases, Senpai are older and Kohai are younger, so this hierarchical relationship is also derived from this culture. There is also an unspoken rule that Kohai employees should treat Senpai with respect. If you look at anime, manga, and TV dramas with this background in mind, it may be easier to understand why you see so many scenes in which Kohai use “Keigo” (honorifics) for Senpai.

Such a culture of respect for elders is deeply rooted in Japan, but there is no hierarchical relationship of Senpai and Kohai in childhood. Generally, the Senpai-Kohai relationship is not established until junior high school. In Japan, extracurricular activities called “Bukatsudo” (club activities) begin in junior high school, and this is where many Japanese first come into contact with the hierarchical relationship between Senpai and Kohai students. These activities, also known as “Bukatsu,” are held outside of class hours by students from the same school based on common interests. Students can join the team of their choice from a variety of sports and cultural activities such as basketball club, badminton club, swimming club, art club, brass band club, tea ceremony club. There, a hierarchical relationship is naturally established between Senpai who joined the club first and Kohai who joined later.

Not only in junior high schools, but also in high schools and universities, there are club activities, and not only club activities, but also just being students in the same school can establish a relationship between Senpai and Kohai students. In addition, if you join a company, a Senpai-Kohai relationship is formed depending on the year you joined the company.

Can Senpai have an easy time?

To summarize what has been said so far, You can become Senpai by just being born or entered a school/company earlier and now you are unconditionally respected by Kohai. It may seem that being Senpai is something quite easy. However, being Senpai is not as easy as you think, since you must take good care of Kohai and give them appropriate advice in order to be evaluated as good Senpai. Just as there is no one who is unconditionally respected, Senpai who are just selfish and overbearing will not be respected by their Kohai.

Words to know along with (1): “Doukyusei” and “Douki”.

Thank you for reading this post so far and I think you have understand the Senpai-Kohai relationship culture in Japan. Now I will introduce five Japanese words related to personal relationships that are used as often in daily life as Senpai and Kohai.

First, there are “Doukyusei” (同級生) and “Douki” (同期). Both refer to people in the same position as you, but there are actually subtle differences as follows.

Doukyusei: People in the same class or the same grade, mainly from elementary school to high school
Douki: People who entered or graduated school, or joined a company in the same year

The word “Doukyusei” has the same meaning as the English word “classmate.” There is no English word that has the same meaning as “Douki.” People who entered or graduated school, or joined a company in the same year are said to be “Douki,” even if they are from different schools or companies.

Words to know along with (2): “Joushi”, “Buka”, and “Douryou”.

Next, I would like to introduce the words “Joushi” (上司), “Buka” (部下), and “Douryou” (同僚), which are commonly used in business. These relationships are not unique to the Japanese language, and I am sure there are similar words and relationships in your countries.

First, “Joushi” differs from “Senpai” in that it refers to someone who is in a higher position than you, not simply someone who joined the company before you. The word “Joushi” corresponds to “boss” in English and “jefe/a” in Spanish.
And the opposite of “Joushi” is “Buka.” Buka is someone who is lower in position than Joushi. The word “Buka” corresponds to “subordinate” in English and “subordinado/a” in Spanish.

Finally, a “Douryou” is a person who is in a close or the same job position. The word “Douryou” corresponds to “co-worker” or “colleague” in English and “colega” in Spanish.

Summary

In this post, I have introduced some words related to personal relationships that are commonly used in Japanese society. It may be difficult to understand those relationships, especially those unique to Japan such as “Senpai” and “Kohai,” but if you apply them to your own relationships with those around you, it will be easier to understand.

All of the words introduced here appear frequently in conversations with Japanese speakers, so please try to learn and use them!
For example, if you have Japanese Senpai at your school or work, try calling them “Senpai.” I am sure they will be glad to hear it.