Lean Japan Tour | 12-18 November 2023
Lean Japan Tour | 3-9 March 2024
Lean Japan Tour | 7-13 April 2024
Lean Japan Tour | 19-25 May 2024
Lean Japan Tour | 23-29 June 2024
Lean Japan Tour | 1-7 September 2024
Lean Japan Tour | 10-16 November 2024
Whether you are new to the concept of lean, or searching for that next level of achievement, you will return home with a better understanding of how lean can be successfully implemented and sustained within your organization.
The Lean Japan Tour is run by Shinka Management. Our first lean tour was first run in 2007, and the program has since been attended by senior management and lean leaders from over 60 countries. Positions are limited to 20 participants per lean tour and registrations are accepted on a first-come first-served basis.
Tours are run either in English or Spanish. Find the one that suits you best in the up-coming Lean Japan Tours section below.
Read a report and participant feedback from one of our recent lean tour programs which visited Tokyo, Inuyama and Ashikaga.
Fee: US$6,750
Includes accommodation, meals and drinks, train and coach transfers, airport meet & greet, company tours, seminars, hands-on training, sightseeing, interpreters. Does not include airfare, travel insurance and meals on two free evenings and Saturday lunch.
Example industries visited: Automotive, Appliances, Metal Processing, Electronics, Food & Beverage, Government, Healthcare
Travel Terms and Conditions: Download
This file must be read and agreed to by all participants.
Depending on demand we occasionally announce additional tour dates. If you do not see your preferred date above please contact us to inquire about other options.
Interested in joining us in Japan for a lean tour? For additional information prior to registration please fill in the form provided or contact us.
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…
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The Lean Japan Tour was the best lean management experience I have had. I wish I had done this earlier, so I could have done some things differently. One learns that some aspects of lean that one thought one knew, really have a different dimension to them. It helps to see lean management where it…
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From a remote rural engineering company – to the shining lights of Japan’s finest. I have returned overwhelmed from the experience to learn from some of the worlds best manufacturers and absorb decades of experience from my fellow peers. Highly recommended and treat it as a sound investment for your company’s future!
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This trip really enlightened me in some specific lean topics and showed me all the beneficial aspects of lean manufacturing. The biggest take away for me was a deeper appreciation of not just the tools but the philosophy. The way the trip was organised and flowed was amazing. Thanks to Paul and David from Shinka…
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To do a lean learning tour with Shinka is definitely highly recommended. As lean is a personal journey for everyone who is involved in this topic, it doesn’t matter at which point of your journey you are in. At each level of personal experience there is a lot that you can take home with you.…
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The tour was a great experience on both a personal and a professional level. There was much learning and the culture we encountered was inspiring. I want to thank the Shinka Management team for their efforts in organising such a great and professionally detailed program. It was a pleasure meeting you all.
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The Lean Japan Tour will broaden your thinking and build your knowledge of lean management principles. You’ll experience lean implementation, kaizen and kaikaku philosophies in some of Japan’s top companies, and develop the understanding necessary to implement these within your organization.
Shinka Management specializes in lean consulting and has been running lean study missions to Japan since 2007. The lean manufacturing tour includes an intensive week of factory visits, senior management discussions, training in a Toyota Group lean training facility and Japanese cultural experiences. We look after you from the moment you touch-down in Nagoya, providing train transfers and private bus transport, first-class accommodation and meals, cultural guidance and interpreting services.
You’ll enjoy this experience of a lifetime, and return home energized and ready to help your company take its next step in its lean journey.
The Lean Japan Tour is a customized guided tour to visit world class lean organizations in Japan. This is an opportunity to explore the factory premises, observe the processes, communicate with lean practitioners and learn from the experts in lean manufacturing. The lean tour comprises a combination of seminars, hands-on training experiences, management discussions and site visits, that have been tailored to develop your lean awareness and capability, and to help you solve your operational challenges.
Move beyond theory and experience lean manufacturing in action. Discuss managers’ experiences and learn how to implement a lean culture and use of the following lean tools within your organisation.
Enjoy a journey like no other as you immerse yourself in an exhilarating mix of cultural experiences. Visiting Japan is a unique and enriching experience, and you’ll have plenty of time to take in the food and culture and explore some of Japan’s most amazing urban landscapes.
Day One of the Lean Japan Tour typically includes training on Japanese business etiquette and culture to ensure participants make the most of their week interacting with local industry leaders and experiencing this truly wonderful country.
Shinka Management has an extensive network of world-leading Japanese lean companies. Since 2007 our tours have visited lean companies in a range of industries for facility tours and discussions with senior management.
Toyota Motor Corporation is a leading Japanese car manufacturer, and the home of the Toyota Production System (TPS), a world-famous lean management philosophy founded on the two key pillars of Jidoka and Just-In-Time.
Toyota Boshoku operates around the globe and they are a major tier-one supplier to the Toyota Group. The Kyushu company produces seats, door trims and engine components exclusively for Lexus models manufactured by Toyota Motor Kyushu.
Toyota Body Seiko, a subsidiary of Toyota Auto Body, is an integrated automotive parts manufacturer that develops, designs and manufactures auto seat parts, frames and pressed components. The company is a first-tier supplier to the Toyota Group.
Nissan Motor Kyushu is one of five manufacturing sites across Japan producing finished vehicles for Nissan. The company started its operation in 1975 as the first car manufacturing company in Kyushu and is located on the coast of Suo Sea in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Subaru Corporation is one of Japan’s globally renowned car manufacturers. Aside from the automotive manufacturing business, they also have an aerospace business and manufacture aircraft and structural components.
Toyota Motor Kyushu primarily produces Lexus-branded vehicles including the environmentally-friendly hybrid models for both the domestic and export markets around the globe. The company operates three plants all in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Tokyo. The company is part of the Mitsubishi Group companies that include multinational companies in various industries.
Osaka City University Hospital is one of the largest general hospitals in Japan with 32 medical departments. It is designated as an Advanced Treatment Hospital by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in Japan.
Takatsuki General Hospital is one of the leading hospitals in Japan particularly in the area of paediatrics and neonatal intensive care. The hospital is in Takatsuki City, Osaka and serves as a prominent acute care hospital for the region.
Aijinkai Rehabilitation Hospital is a hospital affiliated with the Aijinkai Healthcare Corporation. The hospital provides high-level rehabilitation services supported by their cross-functional team with high-tech equipment.
JTEKT Corporation is a major supplier of steering systems in the automotive sector, and a manufacturer of bearings and machine tools for a variety of sectors including steel, railway, aerospace, construction and machinery.
Gifu Auto Body is one of the 13 Toyota final assembly plants in Japan and consistently receives the Toyota award for quality within the group. Their major product is the Toyota HiAce vehicle but they also started manufacturing the Toyota Coaster bus in 2017.
Isuzu Corporation is a trading company within Metal One Corporation specializing in the steel industry. The Steel Service Division of the company processes and supplies cold rolled steel to various industries, via a network of nine regional service centers.
Omron Kyoto Taiyo is an electrical component manufacturer that was formed as a joint venture between Omron and the social welfare service corporation Japan Sun Industries. The company produces high-quality electrical components used for industrial equipment.
TOTO manufactures and markets ceramic bathroom ware including toilet basins, sinks, bathtubs, fittings and the famous Japanese toilet seats. TOTO Sanitechno is one of the TOTO Group companies with four production bases in Japan.
Sekisui Heim is a renowned and trusted housing brand in Japan that is owned by Sekisui Chemical Group. As a member of the Sekisui Chemical group, Sekisui Heim Chubu produces high-quality prefabricated steel frame and wooden modular houses.
Yamaha is synonymous around the world for manufacturing quality musical instruments. The company has established a system to efficiently manufacture and supply products globally. It now has its production and sales bases over 30 countries and regions.
Panasonic Eco Technology Center was founded in 2000 with the aim to recover and recycle resources from end-of-life home appliances. The center promotes recycling-oriented manufacturing under the slogan of “product-to-product”.
Suzaki Industries is a SME that produces pressed, welded and assembled components for the automotive industry. The company supplies components for many of the major Japanese automotive groups, including Toyota and Honda.
Fundokin Shoyu is a well-esteemed Japanese food manufacturer based in Oita Prefecture, Kyushu that produces high quality soy sauce, miso (fermented soybean paste) and salad dressing. The company operates three factories all in Oita.
Chuo Malleable Iron is a cast iron and aluminum component manufacturer. The company mainly supplies to the automobile and electric industries and their major trading partners include Toyota Group companies such as Toyota Motor Corporation.
Kewpie Corporation is a Japanese packaged food manufacturer. It is well known for its popular brand of mayonnaise product with a distinctive Kewpie baby doll logo. The company operates eight plants in Japan and has several production bases overseas.
Oita City is the capital city of Oita Prefecture and is located on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu. The city is regarded as one of the leading municipalities in Japan with a successful lean program to achieve office and service work improvement and efficiency.
Hamamatsu City is located on the western side of Shizuoka Prefecture. The city is home to some of the world’s leading companies such as Honda and is recognised as one of the leading governments in Japan with a successful lean program.
Taikoh Transportation is a Toyota Group logistics company that delivers products to Toyota and other automakers. The company is the first company that established a procurement logistics system based on the Toyota Production System in Japan.
Kirin Brewery is a leading Japanese beer maker. It is one of the of the Kirin Holdings subsidiaries which is an integrated beverages company that manufactures and sells a wide range of beverages as well as pharmaceutical and bio-chemical products.
Kikuchi Gear is a well-established gear manufacturer with 140 employees based in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture. Their products are used in leading-edge industrial products in the aerospace, automotive, construction machinery and printing sectors.
Ishii Machinery is a well-established SME in Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture that engineers and produces various industrial precision components and equipment that are mainly supplied to the automotive and aerospace sectors.
Shinka Management also runs private customized kaizen study tours and Japan study missions for companies and universities, as well as three, four or five-day kaizen training programs at a Toyota Group lean training facility and associated factories in Japan. Contact us to discuss customizing a lean professional development program for your organization, or learn more about our lean training courses.
Further feedback from our lean tour alumni can be viewed on the lean mission testimonials page.
During the Lean Japan Tour I came to the realization that improving an organization is not through large capital investments alone. We were completely surrounded by examples of minor investments into small improvements that produced significant savings. The clever use of visual management techniques gave a clear understanding of the current situation and Ben who is fluent in Japanese was able to remove any language barriers. The open discussions with local senior management helped me identify the misconceptions I had regarding Lean Manufacturing. From the tour I came away with a much broader comprehension of the key elements and how each company had achieved them. We saw the application of lean in various industries – not just automotive. Having said that, what we did experience with the automotive visits were certain management concepts that I realized could be applied in many other situations. In our case we implemented “one piece flow” and “process value mapping” and achieved considerable savings. The tour was a seamless and very professional experience and the group was able to gain a better understanding of the Japanese culture. This is not just a tour for production people but for everybody with an open mind to improve processes, like for myself coming out of Finance.
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A great tour. Having spent over 20 years in manufacturing I now understand the true meaning of Kaizen.
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I highly recommend the Lean Japan Tour – it provided a very good insight, was well organised and is led by guys who are clearly very passionate for lean and Japan.
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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 sure the tour went smoothly. It was an experience that I will surely remember throughout my lean journey. Thank you.
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It was an excellent tour – professionally run and well executed. The companies selected implemented lean at a high degree. The passion they exhibited in sharing their lean journey was very inspiring. I have learned new strategies to bring home to implement. A time well spent.
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Dear Paul, Thank you for the nice experience you and your team were able to provide me! It has been a very professional tour and even more a very nice human connection with you, David and Eri. You have built a nice team that makes people’s lives change! Ciao, Maurizio
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Interested in joining us in Japan for a lean tour? For additional information prior to registration please fill in the form provided or contact us.
