The image illustrates the way layouts of a typical Japanese and American office are designed.
Overall, a Japanese office follows a traditional, position-based hierarchy office design, while providing shared desk islands for team collaboration. An American office, however, adopts what is known as cubicle layout, a design that provides those in managerial positions with semi-closed space and separate rooms for specific facilities, not least for storage and printing services.
A typical Japanese office is rather simple and less space-efficient. It is equipped with windows only on one side, hindering access to natural light; adjacent to them is located the department manager’s office. Notwithstanding this, such an office layout promotes cooperation among employees, a perk evident in how shared, low-partitioned desks are organized. There are two units of such desks for employees overseen by section managers, with their desks being located in the vicinity of the department manager’s desk.
In contrast, a typical American office layout is based on the concept of cubicle design, with compartmentalized space for the management. It is more space-efficient and ensures ample access to natural light through windows on two sides of the office. To the west, there are two conference rooms, along with semi-closed space for storage and printer/copier. While eight cubicle desks occupy the central area, separate rooms are provided for section managers and the department manager, with that for the latter being slightly more spacious.