what is a senpai
(December 2009). In Japan, senpai (åè¼©) is an upperclassman or upperclasswoman, someone of a higher age, or senior and kÅhai (å¾è¼©) is a protege protÃ©gÃ© or. Junior the mentor system is found at all levels of, education and in sports, clubs, businesses and informal or social. organizationshe senpai is roughly equivalent to the Western concept of a mentor, while kÅhai is roughly equivalent to protege, protÃ©gÃ© though they do not imply as strong a relationship as these words mean in The. west