Mitsubishi Motors Corporation – Factory Tour
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Tokyo. The company is part of the Mitsubishi Group, a major Japanese conglomerate including multinational companies in various industries. The company was originally established from the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 1970. Since 2016, Mitsubishi Motors has been one-third owned by the Nissan Motor Company.
Corporate Information
- Company: Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
- Foundation: 1970
- Location: Headquartered in Tokyo
- Main Business: Automotive manufacturing
Mitsubishi Motors – Lean Characteristics
Mixed Flow Production, Visual Management
The Mitsubishi Motors Okazaki Plant was established in 1977. The plant is regarded as the company’s main factory and it also functions as the “mother factory” that develops new technologies and transfers them to their overseas factories. The land area of the plant covers around one million square meters and includes its own test track and R&D center.
The plant visit provides a unique experience to see the four key processes for manufacturing cars. On the tour you will see the stamping, welding, paint and final assembly shops. The opportunity to see the paint shop in an automotive factory is a rare privilege.
The main models manufactured in the Okazaki Plant are the RVR, the Outlander and the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) and more than 90 percent of the cars produced in the plant are exported to overseas markets.
In the final assembly shop, the different vehicle models are produced in a mixed flow production manner. The final assembly shop features a kitting area (similar to that associated with the Set Parts System in Toyota) designed to free up space around the assembly line, increase labor efficiency and improve manufacturing quality. The shop floor visit also highlights effective use of automated guided vehicles (AGV) as well as visual management system and tools.
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
My experience on the Lean Japan Tour: – High level of attention and kindness with all participants; – Quality of content in the classroom; – Knowledge and experience of senseis; – Experiments in the dojo; – High-quality company visits; – High-quality hotels, meals and transports.
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Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
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…
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Buenos Aires, Argentina
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…
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A very intensive and learning Lean Japan Study tour. Alternating with company tours, training session and feeling the Japanese culture. Experiencing the TPS live generated many new inputs and ideas for me. I can recommend it to anyone interested in Lean / Kaizen, but also to experts. It shows what culture is behind it and…
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Not for the fainthearted, this action-packed tour will blow you away. It’s a one-week learning adventure supercharged with information on TPS (Lean) principles. The learning experiences and companies visited far exceeded expectations. The Japanese managers we met were friendly and excited to share their experiences. If you desire change within your organisation and are not…
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We learned from the masters (sensei), who were filled with wisdom, passion and experience. The Lean Japan Tour content was very practical and made a lot of sense. We received excellent hospitality from Paul and Craig of Shinka Management.
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The Shinka Management Lean Japan Tour is a professional development program run several times annually. The program includes training on the topics of lean management, kaizen and Japanese Business Culture, 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.
The above form is for inquiries related to the Lean Japan Tour program, Shinka Management consulting and training services, and lean manufacturing software products. Shinka Management does not represent Mitsubishi. For Mitsubishi-related product, service and general public tour inquiries, please contact Mitsubishi directly.
