Hamamatsu City Government – Site Tour
Hamamatsu City is located on the western side of Shizuoka Prefecture and is the largest city in the Prefecture with a population of around 800,000. Hamamatsu is situated halfway between Tokyo and Osaka and is known as a city of “monozukuri” or creative manufacturing and is home to some of the world’s leading companies such as Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha.
Basic Information
- Population: 800,000
- Region: Tokai Region
- Area: 1,558 square kilometers
- Major Industries: Manufacturing of transport equipment, musical equipment, textile, electronic, optics etc.
Hamamatsu City Government – Lean Characteristics
Office-based improvement
Lean management started to seriously be applied to governments throughout Japan in the mid-1990s. As governments are not driven by profit, the interesting challenge for them in lean implementation is creating a need for improvement.
Hamamatsu City is recognised as one of the leading governments in Japan with a successful lean program. It’s “Good Job” movement is one of the key ways they achieve office-based improvement in work. It is designed as a bottom-up approach to drive government reform on a daily basis.
A strong spirit of improvement is fostered through teams and kaizen leaders. Good ideas are quickly shared and copied into other areas. Linking improvement with the manufacturing word of “muri” or overburden, many ideas generated are about making the tasks of the public servants easier and removing the difficult and frustrating aspects not only from them but also from their service users. The aim here is to create a more comfortable and enjoyable work environment.
The seminar with Hamamatsu City Council will focus on the Good Job program.

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,…
read more

I attended Shinka Management’s Lean Japan Tour and it was an incredible experience. The content was highly informative and practical, offering deep insights into lean culture and principles and their real-world applications. The organisation of the program was excellent, ensuring a seamless and engaging learning experience. I’d highly recommend this tour to anyone looking to…
read more

The Lean Japan tour is an experience that has to be lived, because words are not enough to describe it. With excellent logistics and shared experiences, the Lean Japan Tour allowed us to experience the Toyota Production System beyond just the industrial realm. Thanks to the entire Shinka Management team for making this great experience…
read more

Personally and professionally I found the week extraordinarily rewarding – not only as a fantastic Lean Japan Tour but as a cultural experience not to be missed. Imagine if you will… taking a group of people you had never met before, under your wing, in one of the most crowded cities in the world. Plenty…
read more

Shinka Management organized an excellent tour. It was structured to capture professional development and cultural experience. The tour also provided me with experiences related not only to the local culture and food of Japan, but also to the culture and languages of fellow participants from all over the world. This tour has made a significant…
read more

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.
read more
The Shinka Management Lean Japan Tour is a professional development program run several times annually. The program includes a mix of lean and kaizen seminars, hands-on lean training and visits to several benchmark lean companies. For further information and program dates, see the lean tour overview page.
Tour Inquiries
Interested in joining us in Japan? For additional information prior to registration please fill in the form provided or contact us.