Nobuko Kobayashi co-leads the Japan consumer practice of global strategy consulting group EY-Parthenon. The views expressed in this article are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the global EY organization or its member firms.
Otsubone-sama, now used to refer to controlling middle-aged women in the workplace, was originally the title for the female senior butler who supervised the shogun's mansion in imperial Japan's Edo period between the 17th and 19th centuries.
