It should also be noted that visitors to Japanese companies often don't get to see the true working conditions, because they only go to the formal osetsu shisu (reception rooms for receiving guests). Such rooms are spacious and formally appointed. I really visiting one of my clients, who had been the president of his firm's U.S. subsidiary and then returned to japan to a senior executive position at the parent company. As i was about to be ushered into the reception room to meet with him and some of his colleagues, he pulled me aside and asked if I'd like to see his desk. We went to another floor, which was a different world from the hushed wood-paneled reception area. A tremendous number of people were crowded into an open room, with desks that were small and spartan even by Japanese standards. His desk was shoved up against a pillar and was notably nondescript. "Quite a change from my office in the U.S., huh?" He said, thinking ruefully back to the days when he had a huge desk in an expansive executive office.
The japanese office layout is also a reflection of the japanese emphases on hierarchy and efficiency. Because the desks are arranged by rank, and as a similar arrangement is used in nearly all offices, one can walk into any company and immediately discern who has what degree of authority.
These two diametrically opposed office setup preferences have resulted in a lot of friction at japanese firms in the U.S. If the office is set up American style, the japanese may feel and out of touch with their colleagues. They are concerned that information flow will be hampered. On the other hand, American often have difficulty concentrating in the wall-less japanese style environment.
While some japanese companies in the U.S. opt for either a purely American style or Japanese style approach, I have seen some interesting hybrids. At one of my clients, but an elaborate which eliminates any noise distractions. Probably the most clever hybrid I have seen was at a Japanese bank's branch. The desks were close together, but they were of more American size and scale. There were tall partitions between them, which were opaque for about a foot and a half and then glass above that. This satisfied the needs of both the Japanese and American. From the Japanese perspective, people were seated close together, and the glass provided the ability for visual contact. From the American perspective, the opaque portion of the partition provided a degree of privacy, and the glass portion served to reduce noise.
It should be noted that styles are changing in the U.S., and in Silicon Valley and other startup hotbeds, open offices quite similar to the Japanese style are becoming popular. Facebook is one example of a company that has adopted an open office layout. The stated reason for using this style? That it promotes communication and collaboration.