Client Testimonials

The Lean Japan Tour was brilliant. It was full of activities, insights and learning. In addition, the organization and the schedule were perfect.
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I’d rate 100% for this trip. It fulfilled or even exceeded my expectations. Reasonable arrangement of class, practice and plant visits; and high quality service for everything during the trip.
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The team at Shinka have done a sensational job of providing an in-depth tour with lots to learn about the Toyota Production System and lean manufacturing. The tour was carefully planned, and we got the most out of our time in Japan.
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I am deeply grateful to Shinka Management, and to Paul, Eri and Ichi, for an outstanding Lean Japan Tour experience. Their expertise and hospitality made the journey both educational and enjoyable. The insights gained from visiting world-class lean organizations were invaluable, and the dedication of the Shinka team to ensuring we absorbed practical knowledge was evident throughout. This experience has greatly enriched my understanding of lean principles and how they can be applied to drive continuous improvement. Thank you for organising such an exceptional tour and for your unwavering support throughout the journey.
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Shinka Management’s service here was truly exceptional. The staff were attentive, friendly, and made sure that every detail of our experience was perfect. They went above and beyond to ensure our comfort and satisfaction, and it was truly appreciated. Their hospitality was warm and welcoming, making us feel like valued guests.
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I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Lean Japan Tour by Shinka Management, and it was an exceptional experience. The tour is meticulously designed for a concise 7-day itinerary, providing deep and practical insights into Lean Manufacturing. The blend of informative sessions and real-world observations made the learning process both engaging and highly valuable. The team at Shinka Management is incredibly knowledgeable and adept at translating complex concepts into actionable strategies. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to enhance their understanding of Lean principles and see them in action. A truly worthwhile investment for professional growth!

The program is a combination of theory and practical training. I would recommend this training to anyone who is practicing or related to Lean Manufacturing. No blah blah blah!!! in the entire tour. Thank you very much Mr. Paul, Ms. Eri and Mr. Ichi. I would love to attend this training once again.
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The Lean Japan Tour was one of the best quality training programs that I’ve attended. The information is provided in a good learning environment and the hands on activities along with in-plant tours to see the lean concepts in action helped reinforce the concepts. There is so much I learned on this trip that I can begin using once back in the office.

The trip accommodations were wonderful and the meals with team members helped build lasting relationships. Paul, Eri and Ichi were wonderful guides and understood all the concepts which they translated for us. This helped very much with asking questions later as they could continue the discussions surrounding lean manufacturing and the Japanese implementation of those concepts. Kaji-sensei was very knowledgeable and I enjoyed learning from him during the classroom and activities portion.

I am already planning to return to Japan with Shinka Management for the Alumni tour. Thank you so much for all I’ve learned and experienced!
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An outstanding experience. The opportunity to learn and build knowledge with experts in the principles of lean management was first class. The Japan context simply makes all the difference in putting that learning into context and allowed me to get “under the hood” of how it is really applied in practice through a variety of hosted site visits. The Shinka team are just amazing and I have met some great people from all over the world by joining this tour. What are you waiting for?
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It has been a very successful tour with a very friendly and supportive team. All the training materials, factory visits and accommodation have been very well organised. Transport was on time and food has been so amazing. The exposure to the lean tools and techniques and their applications are so practical and I learnt a lot. My heartfelt appreciation and a BIG THANK YOU to Paul and the team.
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I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Eri Dennis of Shinka Management for her support with our week-long engagement in regional Australia facilitating a visit to our Australian partner and providing Japanese-English interpreting support.

Despite the challenging circumstances, Eri handled the situation with great flexibility, and even went beyond her regular duties. We were impressed by Eri’s energy and work ethic, and it was thanks to her tremendous efforts that we were able to achieve our difficult objectives within the very limited time we had available. Further, the trust we built with our Australian partner is something that could not have been achieved without Eri’s facilitation.

We cannot express our gratitude enough in words. We look forward to continuing our relationship in the future.
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Shinka Management (Paul Smith in particular) is fantastic. My team participated in an informative Japanese Etiquette Training Session which was not only quite enriching, but very useful. Their material, assistance and professionalism were top notch and we greatly appreciate our time spent with them. Thank you Shinka/Paul!
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The tour shows how industries in Japan do continuous improvement in their respective companies. I think that such concepts could also be applied in other industries as well when applied correctly within its own framework. The tour also showcases some aspects of Japanese culture which I appreciate a lot as it provides insight into the continuous improvement mental models in Japan. The tour also includes guest lecturers with experience in transforming companies, and who actually changed my perspective on why we do KAIZEN. I would actually recommend the leaders of companies to attend such tours and bring such mindset and behavior into their respective industries.
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My experience on the Shinka Management Lean Japan Tour was spectacular. Learning more about TQM and Lean Management in the country where almost all industries are implementing these approaches has been surreal. It was also a good experience witnessing these firsthand in the manufacturing industry and even more so in the healthcare industry. It is amazing to see that companies are able to sustain these principles over such a long period of time. We have been exposed to these approaches in the past, and although we are not new to this field, it gave us a sense of urgency in reviving and pushing for the same principles in our workplace. The best part during the tour for me was the hospital visits since I am from the healthcare industry. I have learned as well an important lesson during the tour which is to look inside first and assess what needs to be done. We shouldn’t be asking how we could use the tools or just implement what we learned, but rather, ask first what the problem is.
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Excellent, from preparing the tour group on do’s and don’ts to guidance on what to watch out for every step of the way. Cannot recommend this enough if you are looking to learn how to resolve issues, and want to understand the lean approach from philosophy to theory to practice. Thank you very much, Paul, Ben and Juan for the rich learning experience and great company, and Eri for the logistics support from afar. Special thanks to Kaji Sensei for sharing and noting where we were good and where we could improve. Arigato gozaimasu!
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The overall experience on the Lean Japan Tour is great with a lot of learnings from the trainings, workshops and company and factory visits. The accommodation and meals were also well arranged with the schedule and agenda organized in a great manner. Really appreciate Ben and Paul making everything comfortable and efficient during the whole trip with their professional work! Special thanks to Juan for making the memorable photos of all the moments! Highly recommend this program from Shinka!
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The training schedule is very tight and efficient, the class room training was practical and led by an experienced teacher from Toyota, and the tour visits covered a wide range of industries including car manufacturing, parts processing and healthcare.
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I really liked the Lean Japan Tour, since it combines theoretical training, workshops and visits to different companies. It is different to see firsthand how the different methodologies work and take the time to understand that it is part of the organizational culture. Thank you Shinka Management team. Now let’s get to work…!!
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This is a great lean tour! Through the week together we have participated in visits to local companies, classroom sessions and hands on exercises. It’s impressive to see how the Toyota Way is really working efficiently and effectively. The organizers are professional, and have good relationships with the sites we visited. They know what the participants are looking for and provide perfect support.
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Thank you, Paul Smith and Ben Sparrow, 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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Great experience delivered by passionate professionals. The training is well-balanced between real life factory/hospital visits (lean in action), theory (basic concepts, why it makes sense) and exercise (set up your own mini factory line using lean concepts). All of this where it started: Japan. Definitely recommend the tour for any professional looking for ways to improve the efficiency of their operations.
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