Kikuchi Gear – Factory Tour
Kikuchi Gear is a well-established gear manufacturer based in the city of Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture. The company has 140 employees spread across their head office and six factories. Their products are used in leading-edge industrial products in the aerospace, automotive, construction machinery and printing sectors.
Corporate Information
- Company: Kikuchi Gear Inc.
- Foundation: 1940
- Location: Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture
- Main Business: Manufacturing of gears, gearboxes and gear pumps
Kikuchi Gear – Lean Characteristics
5S, Kaizen Suggestion Scheme
Kikuchi Gear is based in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture. The city is known as the City of 5S where over 200 factories and workplaces engage in 5S activities on a daily basis. This program is promoted by the Ashikaga Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Kikuchi Gear is one of the companies actively involved in the city’s 5S program.
The company produces a wide variety of high-quality gear products which are used in leading-edge industrial products in the aerospace, automotive, construction machinery and printing sectors. The quality products they need to produce in line with customer needs are achieved through their flexible production facilities.
Profit is key for any SME’s sustainability, and Kikuchi Gear recognizes that an organization of people with capability in kaizen will form a more resilient and stronger company to generate that profit. The visit to the company showcases Kikuchi Gear’s kaizen suggestion scheme as well as excellent examples of 5S. Kikuchi Gear are continually thinking about the future needs of society and their role within it.
The plant tour includes a presentation, a site tour and a Q&A session with senior managers.
Nelson, New Zealand
Amazing experience, exceptional learning. If you want to learn about Lean go on this tour!
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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.…
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Perth, WA, 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,…
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Rolleston, New Zealand
This was an extremely insightful tour. Very well run by Paul and the team from Shinka Management. Highly recommended.
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Christchurch, Cantebury, New Zealand
I was very pleased to join the March 2026 Shinka Management Lean Tour in Japan. Having previously worked with the Toyota Way and Kaizen in the early 1990s, I was keen to revisit this manufacturing philosophy, and the opportunity to see Lean in action in Japan was not to be missed. The tour was outstanding.…
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Singapore
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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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.
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