I wholeheartedly recommend the Japan Lean Tour.

The program is exceptionally well-organized, combining rigorous classroom training with hands-on practice on real factory floors, and factory visits that progress smartly from service centers through Tier 3 to Tier 2 manufacturing — offering a full picture of lean excellence across the value chain.

Cultural experiences like the Karakuri Museum, Inuyama Castle, and Toyota Commemorative Museum add meaningful context, and the diverse Japanese cuisine throughout the trip is a delight.

Most of all, the group dynamic created by Paul, Eri, Ichi, and Kaji-Sensei made this tour special — their warmth and guidance turned every moment, whether in seminars or on the road, into an opportunity for sharing and reflection.

Don’t hesitate if you get the chance to join.
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Jack Hu
Jack Hu, Senior Supplier Quality ManagerAmazon Information Services
Shanghai, China

Thank you to Shinka Management for the positivity, preparation, knowledge, senseis, food, accommodation, photos, and overall care throughout the tour. I learned a lot.

I had participated in a similar training program in Japan two years ago, but Shinka Management takes the experience one or two levels higher in several aspects.

Thank you.
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Lukas Richter
Lukáš Richter, Process Improvement Consultantvtc consulting
Žilina, Slovakia

In 2019, I discovered lean management — and it was a revelation.

Lean taught me something essential: we do not transform an environment by waiting for a miracle. We transform it by choosing to improve ourselves every day, even by one millimeter — with discipline, humility, and consistency. Since then, this mindset has never left me. That is why spending one week in Japan, at the very source of lean, was such a meaningful experience for me.

I had the opportunity to be supported by Shinka Management, and this training now clearly ranks among my top three learning experiences. Shinka Management truly practices what it teaches. The organization, the quality of the content, the flow of the program, and the high standards throughout all reflected a genuine culture of continuous improvement. Everything was designed with rigor, consistency and efficiency.

For seven days, I was surrounded by participants from nine different countries, representing a wide range of business environments — from major tech companies to manufacturing plants. This diversity made the learning experience even richer.

The welcome and knowledge-sharing from the Japanese companies were exceptional. What impressed me the most was the generosity with which they shared Kaizen — not as an abstract concept, but as a living, practical, and collective discipline. Almost an obsession.

Every visit, every discussion and every detail seemed to convey the message: sustainable performance is built over time, through people, and with people.

Returning to the birthplace of this methodology allowed me to better understand the logic behind the mindset. I would highly recommend this training to any lean practitioner seeking a deeper understanding of the journey that shapes lean thinking and methods.

Industrial methods can absolutely create value in service organizations — when they are adapted with intelligence and rigor. And I’m eager to see what we do with a fresh perspective shared by Shinka Management.
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Irina Privileggio
Irina Privileggio, Customer Service Performance ManagerFDJ United
Paris, France

I would like to thank Shinka Management for the opportunity to participate in this tour.

The team did a great job, and I felt very comfortable throughout the whole program. Everything was organised precisely.

I learned and saw many new lean methods, and it was especially valuable that we could also practise these methods ourselves.

The company visits were really inspiring, and they confirmed for me that we have to work hard if we want to be a leader in our market.

Thank you for everything.
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Martin Mraz
Martin Mraz, CEORefima
Bratislavska, Horna Streda, Slovakia

The tour exceeded my expectations. I joined the tour wanting to see first-hand the unfiltered application of Lean principles in Japanese factories and hear from people with direct experience of Lean concepts in Japan. All of that was covered in addition to immersive cultural experiences such as the venues selected for dinner, tours of museums and interactive activities to deepen our exposure to Japanese culture. I congratulate the team for putting together such a fantastic program.

Lucie Solon
Lucie Solon, Biomedical Engineering LecturerUniversity of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

The Shinka Lean Japan Tour provided an exceptional opportunity to experience Lean thinking and the Toyota Production System (TPS) at its source. Seeing manufacturing operations firsthand brought the principles of continuous improvement and waste elimination to life in a way that classroom learning alone cannot achieve.

One of the most valuable aspects of the tour was gaining a deeper understanding of how TPS is embedded within organisational culture. Concepts such as genba (go and see), standardised work, visual management, problem-solving through root cause analysis, and the relentless pursuit of Kaizen were demonstrated in practical, real-world environments. It became clear that sustainable operational excellence is achieved not through isolated improvement projects, but through leadership commitment, employee engagement, and disciplined daily management.

The tour reinforced the importance of viewing processes through the eyes of the customer, identifying non-value-adding activities, and creating systems that enable quality, efficiency, and continuous learning. Observing how Japanese organisations empower frontline teams to solve problems and drive improvements highlighted the critical role of people in any successful Lean transformation.

I would highly recommend the Shinka Lean Japan Tour to anyone involved in operational excellence, continuous improvement, manufacturing, or business transformation. The combination of factory visits, expert facilitation, and exposure to authentic Toyota Production System practices provides valuable insights that can be applied across a wide range of industries and organisations.


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Alex Burgess
Alex Burgess, Lean GBS LeadManthorpe Building Products
Ripley, England, United Kingdom

The Lean Japan Tour has been an exceptional learning experience, combining practical training, company visits and direct exposure to the real Japanese approach to Lean. The program helped me better understand standardized work, Kaizen, 5S, visual management, leadership at the gemba, and respect for people. What impressed me most was how discipline, culture and continuous improvement are connected in daily operations.

The organization led by the Shinka Management Team was impeccable, with excellent coordination, clear communication and strong support throughout the journey. I strongly recommend this tour to leaders who want to deepen their Lean thinking and bring practical improvements back to their organizations.


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Tiago Anderson Faria
Tiago Anderson Faria, COO & Head of SalesKromberg & Schubert do Brasil
Sao Paulo, Brazil

I would like to personally thank the Shinka team for a well-organised week that definitely opened my eyes on elements of Lean Management as well as some great ideas related to Japanese construction processes.
I’m looking forward to getting back to our business and putting these elements into play with the whole team. I think this is definitely a sign of a worthwhile and informative tour!
Thanks again to Paul, Eri, Ichi and Chris for your efforts to keep us engaged and on time for the week’s tour.
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Pete Robbins
Pete Robbins, General ManagerCenturion Framing Systems
Perth, WA, Australia

Thank you to the Shinka team for a wonderful experience in Japan. The housing mission was professionally organised and executed by Paul, Eri, and the team. The lead-up information provided before heading to Japan was excellent and greatly helped with preparation.

Once in Japan, the tour was so efficient that we were able to see many aspects of Japanese housing and manufacturing. Even though there was so much travel, information, and factory visits packed into the mission, it was so seamlessly organised that the whole experience remained comfortable. This helped us stay prepared to learn each day of the mission.

The Japanese food and cultural experiences were magnificent throughout. The translation by Ichi-san was outstanding and added greatly to the experience.

Thank you to the Shinka team for a wonderful experience.

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Paul Nardinocchi
Paul Nardinocchi, Managing DirectorCentina
Adelaide, SA, Australia

I recently completed a study tour in Japan with Shinka Management and it was an excellent experience. The tour was extremely well organised, allowing us to focus on learning and gaining real value. The insights into Lean and Japanese home building were first class, with practical takeaways I can apply in our business.

Thanks to Paul, Eri, Ichi and Chris for their professionalism and support throughout. I’d highly recommend Shinka Management to any business leader wanting to better understand Lean and world-class practices.
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Steve Canning
Steve Canning, Managing DirectorCenturion Building Products
Perth, WA, Australia