The March 2025 Lean Japan Tour was an incredible opportunity to experience Japanese culture and kaizen practices firsthand. I would rate my overall satisfaction with this tour as outstanding. Honestly, it is very difficult to identify areas for improvement in the program, as it is executed with such professionalism and extensive experience. The dedication and effort that the Shinka Management team puts into planning and executing the tour is remarkable; it truly is a world-class tour. I particularly appreciated the selection of factory visits, as each one had a unique reason for inclusion that helped me understand Japan’s practices and culture. I would like to extend my gratitude to Paul, Kaji-Sensei, Ichi, and Eri for everything. I hope to meet you again in the future, and if you have the chance to visit Argentina, just let me know so we can share a great ASADO ;-).
Thank you!
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Joaquín Pablo Buján
Joaquín Pablo Buján, Manufacturing ManagerPC Arts
Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Lean Japan Tour with Shinka Management was an inspiring and transformative experience. Seeing lean practices in action and learning from Japanese companies was truly eye-opening. This journey has motivated me to embrace lean principles in my own work. Big thanks to Shinka Management for such an enriching program — I highly recommend it!
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Joanne Lim
Joanne Lim, Process Improvement ManagerElliott Ebara
Singapore

During 2024, we carried out a project with Shinka that lasted about 5 months, which aimed to improve and perfect our daily management instances, since these had become very time-intensive and with a sense of planning and not performance. After reviewing the current situation and defining our future state, Shinka supported us to refocus our efforts, starting with training and strengthening knowledge, through practical exercises and accompanying us in the creation and updating of our KPIs. Along with that, it helped us to redefine our standard, giving us tools that have allowed us to maintain it and avoid falling into the same previous error, which was mainly not carrying out a constant review of the routine, identifying gaps and correcting them quickly. This has allowed us to hold truly effective meetings, focused on performance and adding value to the organization. I would also like to highlight that Shinka adapted very well to our requirements, understanding our needs and being flexible when it came to modifying the project times, since right during its development, we had an important organizational change and they quickly managed to adapt to the changes and allowed us to adjust the Gantt without major issues.
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Christian Aravena, Operational Excellence ChiefMolymet
Santiago, Chile

Thank you, Shinka Management, for providing me with the opportunity to learn more about Kaizen. As a Quality practitioner, witnessing the evolution of Toyota and its implementation of Kaizen has been amazing.

Learning how to adapt Kaizen principles from manufacturing for implementation within a hospital setting has been truly inspiring.

Again, thank you Shinka Management! Especially to Paul, Ben, Juan, Eri, and of course to Sensei.
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Eulalia Magpusao
Eulalia C. Magpusao, Associate Director – Quality and Patient SafetySt. Luke's Medical Center
Quezon City, Manila, Philippines

The Shinka Lean Management Tour was a great experience, with group members from across the globe. A combination of classroom, hands-on and site visit learning provided good insight into lean principles. The tour was very well organised, ran smoothly and was a pleasure to be a part of.
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Carmel Burton
Carmel Burton, General Manager – Supply ChainTimberlink Australia
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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 continuous improvement were not only practical but also deeply inspiring. The expert facilitation by Shinka consultants ensured that complex concepts were made relatable and actionable for any industry.

What truly stood out was the cultural immersion – learning how Japanese work culture complements lean principles. The tour seamlessly blended professional development with personal growth, leaving a lasting impact on my approach to problem-solving and process optimization.

For anyone serious about lean transformation, this is an unmissable experience.
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Aaron Pilkinton
Aaron Pilkinton, Operations ManagerDominant
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for organizing such a fantastic tour. From the seamless logistics to the thoughtfully curated, authentic Japanese experience, everything was meticulously planned, making for an unforgettable trip. Your team’s professionalism, and passion for what you do really shone through, and it truly enhanced the entire experience. I appreciate all your hard work in making sure everything ran smoothly, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a well-organized and enjoyable adventure.
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Yoko Higashi
Yoko Higashi, SMT ManagerRedarc Electronics
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

My expectations for the tour were exceptionally high, but the Shinka Management team exceeded them all.

The opportunity to engage with a sensei who possesses decades of experience in the Toyota Production System (TPS) was invaluable. The factory tours, coupled with discussions with managing directors and plant managers, offered profound insights into the organizational culture, corporate philosophy, and the practical application of kaizen principles.

The contributions of Eri, Ichi, and Paul were instrumental in making this tour a remarkable experience. All of them are highly professional, gave great insights into culture and cuisine, and always had a smile on their face.

I highly recommend this tour to anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of Lean Management practices in Japan.
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Robin Knispel
Robin Knispel, Head of Global OPEXHÜBNER
Kassel, Germany

I had the privilege of joining the Japan study tour by Shinka Management, and it was an invaluable experience. The tour offered a deep dive into Japan’s manufacturing excellence, focusing on lean production and continuous improvement. The Shinka Management team’s expertise and seamless coordination made the experience both educational and inspiring.
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Tariq Alhuthali
Tariq Alhuthali, Senior Projects AnalystSaudi Industrial Development Fund
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

I attended the Japanese Business Etiquette training and found it to be valuable and informative. Paul was knowledgeable, experienced, articulate, and gave lots of real-life examples. The session was open and interactive – and we were able to ask questions and discuss many things in depth. The training materials were well-organized and informative, providing a great introduction to the key factors that influence and are important to Japanese people.
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Deasy Heryanto
Deasy Heryanto, Research Project EngineerCSIRO
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia