Lean Japan Tour – May 2024 – Shinka Management Kaizen Study Mission
The May 2024 Lean Japan Tour will be held on Sunday 12th through to Saturday 18th May. The kaizen study mission will include lean seminars, practical kaizen training and visits to factories for meetings with senior management.
*Please note new dates as follows*
Tour Dates: 12 May 2024 - 18 May 2024
Location: Tokyo, Japan
For further details of the tour and to read about past visits see our Lean Japan Tour page.
Contact us to express your interest in participating or download the registration form to sign up now.
The May 2024 lean study tour is targeted at English-speaking professionals from across the globe.
Example Itinerary (subject to change)
Sunday: Arrive Tokyo
- Tokyo sightseeing / free time
- Orientation & Japanese business etiquette seminar
Monday: Nagoya – Site Visits & Training
- Lean leadership in Japan
- Toyota facotry tour – Toyota Body Seiko
Tuesday: Nagoya – Site Visits & Training
- Lean implementation in Japan
- Toyota final assembly plant tour
- Standard work seminar
Wednesday: Nagoya – Training & Site Visit
- Suzaki Industries factory tour (Toyota Supplier)
- Metal One Isuzu factory tour
- Sightseeing to local castle
Thursday: Nagoya – Practical Training
- Hands-on kanban simulation
- Standard work and kaizen practical
- Karakuri Kaizen Examples
Friday: Nagoya – Site Visit & Debriefing
- Site visit or Toyota Commemorative Museum
- Final seminar and tour debrief session
- Return to Tokyo
Saturday: Tokyo – Recovery and Sightseeing
- Free morning in Tokyo for sightseeing
- Departure
Learn more about our kaizen study missions
The Lean Japan Tour is Shinka Management’s flagship lean professional development program. For further detail about our kaizen study tours, see the Lean Japan Tour page, or read more about past participants’ Lean Mission Testimonials.

What our lean study mission participants have said…
Thank you to Paul Smith and the team for hosting this amazing real time learning experience through visits to factories in Japan practicing Lean methodologies. This trip is something I will remember and take with me throughout my professional career and personal life.
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Participating in the Shinka Management Lean Japan Tour was a transformative experience. The tour offered a rare opportunity to witness world-class lean practices in action at leading Japanese organisations. From visiting Toyota’s manufacturing facilities to learning directly from lean practitioners, every moment was an invaluable learning experience. The insights gained into kaizen, waste reduction, and…
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For me, the Lean Japan Tour was a journey through different companies guided by experts who explained the tools and demonstrated how to live in a work culture based on continuous improvement. This allowed me to discover new concepts and approaches to facilitate the successful implementation of a kaizen culture in American companies.
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To do a lean learning tour with Shinka is definitely highly recommended. As lean is a personal journey for everyone who is involved in this topic, it doesn’t matter at which point of your journey you are in. At each level of personal experience there is a lot that you can take home with you.…
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This has been the best tour I have ever been on. The learnings were super valuable, and listening to Sensei and his wisdom was really refreshing – pointing out the most obvious things that make you think, “why didn’t I think of that!” All the factory tours were very accommodating and informative, and the staff…
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Contact us about a Lean Japan Tour
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