theprof00 on 16 October 2009
"the window seat" IS a sort of Japanese tradition. It was used extensively in the past, and is still kind of used today, but much less extensively. The meaning of the window seat is dual. First, Japanese groups tend to work in teams. These teams generally face or abut each other. A window seat, symbolically, is seated next to the outside world, because he belongs with them, rather than the company.
Secondly (and this is the real horror), is that the window seat is a very very subtle yet clearly implicated directive to jump out the window.
