Before a company’s cherry blossom party, the hanami, someone must hold a good place under the trees. The job, basho-tori, usually goes to new employees, who often organize the party. A guide says they start early in the morning of the day, or the night before. New employees waiting on a blue tarp were a common sight in the Shōwa era.
A lawyer quoted by the legal news site Bengo4.com notes that where taking part is in effect compulsory, the time spent holding the spot must be counted as working time.