I achieved my objective of learning about Japanese work culture and useful practices to increase work efficiency. The program had a good balance of classroom learning and plant visits. The Shinka Management team, Paul, Juan & Ichi were very helpful ensuring each and every one of us were well taken care of. Also not forgeting Kaji Sensei who was very passionate in educating us about TPS. The team at all the plants we visited were very welcoming and eager to share with us on their corporate information and plant operations. Thank You Shinka Management for such an educational experience.
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Madinah Abang
Madinah Abang, General Manager – Contract & Procurement GovernanceSarawak Energy
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

This past week has been truly eye-opening, seeing how the theories we learned in class come to life through practical application during our visits.

The hosts were outstanding, with even the highest level of management taking time to showcase their work. Their humility, resilience, and commitment to continuous improvement at the highest level were inspiring. The karakuri implementations were absolutely mind-blowing.

I look forward to implementing some of these practices within my company and even in my daily life. A heartfelt thank you to Shinka Management for providing such a remarkable experience.
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Siti Aisah Adenan
Siti Aisah Adenan, Senior Vice President – Corporate ServicesSarawak Energy
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

The tour was a terrific experience shared with exceptional individuals. I was able to further my knowledge in lean manufacturing and hone my skills. I learned new ways to reduce waste and improve the working environment within industrial projects.
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Abdulaziz Almegbel
Abdulaziz Almegbel, Projects AnalystSaudi Industrial Development Fund
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Great engagement with the team, curated for our needs including delving into a case study of particular relevance.
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Sascha Meldrum, Director of Corporate AffairsNova Systems Australia & New Zealand
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

The Japanese Business Etiquette course was amazing – I can’t believe it was 6 hours in total, the time flew by! The content was comprehensive, however felt very organic – topics that were of less interest were covered in passing, while topics that we were interested in were discussed in depth without ever feeling rushed to move to the next point. The use of anecdotes, examples and case studies really helped contextualise the content, plus the use of references to other cultures also helped us appreciate some of the nuances of our own way of working. There was a really good balance as well between the Japanese background/culture, and its manifestation/impact on the type of interactions that we could expect in business. Some very practical lessons could also be drawn from the course – e.g. what to think about/practically DO if hosting a Japanese delegation, what to watch out for, how to interpret/not interpret certain behaviours or actions…
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Michal Stanek, Maritime Delivery ManagerNova Systems Australia & New Zealand
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

What a journey into lean! A week jam-packed with learning the true essence of lean from a Sensei, then being critiqued on your practical application of the skills. Followed up by site tours of what world class lean manufacturing looks like. Highly Recommended.
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Duane Taylor, CI ManagerGallagher
Melville, Hamilton, New Zealand

These tours provide direct, hands-on experience with the Toyota Production System (TPS) and other lean principles in action, going beyond theoretical knowledge. Shinka Management are professional, knowledgeable, and passionate about lean, providing excellent organization. If you are wanting to learn more about lean manufacturing or TPS then this is the best place to start, you won’t be disappointed.
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Mark Morton, Manager – SalesSRS New Zealand
Rolleston, New Zealand

Outstanding lean tour hosted by Shinka Management. When researching lean tours in Japan, I wanted to choose the provider offering the most credible program – rich in technical depth and practical, hands-on learning. I’m happy to say this turned out to be a world-class experience that I highly recommend.

The program combined expert training and factory visits that showcased Toyota Production System principles at the highest level. Training was led by seasoned Toyota practitioners who brought true technical expertise to life. Every detail of the tour was professionally planned and managed, which quickly lifted the burden of logistics and allowed me to focus fully on learning.

Grateful to the Shinka Management team for delivering a world-class experience. Many thanks to Paul Smith, Eri Dennis, and Ichi Yamada for their care and hospitality.
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Al Lopez, Executive PartnerMy Productivity
Orange, California, United States

This was an extremely insightful tour. Very well run by Paul and the team from Shinka Management. Highly recommended.
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Kelton Taane, Manager – SawmillSRS New Zealand
Rolleston, New Zealand

The tour was highly professional. The food and hotels were excellent, and the best part was the learning experience. We had hands-on exposure to kanban, and seeing Lean and Kaizen in action during the factory visits was extremely informative. The Q&A sessions provided us with deeper insights into the thinking of each management team we met. I can’t wait to gradually implement these learnings in our company.

Many thanks to the Shinka team – especially Paul, Eri, and Ichi – for taking such good care of us.

Highly recommended! Excellent value for money.
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Catherine Dy, President & CEOSim Beng Ko Marketing Corporation
Manila, Philippines