Lean Japan Tour – September 2023 – Shinka Management Kaizen Study Mission
The September 2023 Lean Japan Tour will be held on Sunday 10th through to Saturday 16th September. The kaizen study mission will include lean seminars, practical kaizen training and visits to factories for meetings with senior management.
Location: Tokyo, Japan
For further details of the tour and to read about past kaizen and kaikaku 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 September 2023 Lean Japan Tour is a kaikaku study mission 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 implementation in Japan seminar
- Metal One Isuzu plant visit
Tuesday: Nagoya – Site Visits & Training
- Toyota Production System seminar
- Toyota Body Seiko visit
Wednesday: Nagoya – Practical Training
- Lean leadership seminar
- Toyota final assembly plant tour
- Sightseeing to local castle
Thursday: Nagoya – Site Visits
- Hands-on kanban simulation and kaizen activity
- Suzaki Industries factory tour (Toyota supplier)
Friday: Nagoya – Site Visit & Debriefing
- Site visit or Toyota Commemorative Museum
- Final seminar and tour debrief session
Saturday: Tokyo – Recovery and Sightseeing
- Sightseeing in Tokyo to Asakusa and Ginza
- Departure from Tokyo
Learn more about our Kaizen study missions
The Lean Japan Tour program is Shinka Management’s flagship development program for lean practitioners. For further detail about our kaikaku study missions, see the Lean Japan Tour page, or view our past participants’ Lean Mission Testimonials.

What our lean study mission participants have said…
I attended the Shinka Management / Ai Group / JMAC Lean Japan Study Tour in 2010 – outstanding, highly recommended. (I don’t have this much fun when I go on holiday.) To see the cultural home of Lean Manufacturing is an experience you will never forget. Ride on a bullet train, walk the factory floor…
read more
Had the pleasure to accompany Ben and clients on the 2007 Lean Japan Tour. I had worked with many Japanese, ASEAN, UK and US firms and as such have participated in benchmarking assignments and tours of their operations. Some involved attending and presenting at various strategy, productivity and quality management conferences. In that context, I…
read more
I have thoroughly enjoyed the lean tour to Japan. Not only have I learned lots of new concepts that I’m keen to implement in our business, but I also loved the cultural experiences and insight into the people of Japan. The tour organizers bent over backward to make us feel welcome and anticipate our every…
read more
A great mix of Japanese Business Etiquette, site visits show-casing lean principles, Japanese Culture and networking with the other members of the group. Both Ben & Paul were professional yet relaxed and friendly. Their relationships with key personnel in strategic lean businesses is impressive and their ability to translate quickly & accurately minimised the language…
read more
The whole experience of the lean tour was excellent. I learned so much over the past week and all of my previous knowledge of lean was reinforced. Not only did I learn about lean management but I was also impressed with the Japanese culture. The whole team at Shinka Management were very helpful and made…
read more
Contact us about a Lean Japan Tour
Speak to us about our tours.