Madogiwa Zoku "the window tribe"

The deeply entrenched seniority system of Japanese companies makes it difficult to rise to a top managerial position except after many years of service. Those who fail to attain a top position never enjoy the luxury of a private office, but they may be given a token reward of a desk next to the window in the large, open space where their juniors are also seated. The term "window tribe" refers to people who have been thus rewarded for their years of service but are out of the day-to-day running of the company.