Toyota Boshoku Kyushu – Factory Tour
Toyota Boshoku group operates around the globe and they are a major tier-one supplier to the Toyota Group. The Kyushu company has two plants; the Honsha (head) Plant in Kamizaki City in Saga Prefecture and the Miyata Plant located right by Toyota’s factory in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Corporate Information
- Company: Toyota Boshoku Kyushu Corporation
- Foundation: 1991
- Location: Headquartered in Saga Prefecutre
- Main Business: Manufacturing of automotive interior products, power-train components
Toyota Boshoku Kyushu – Lean Characteristics
TPS, Just-In-Time, Karakuri, Standard Work, Visual Management
Toyota Boshoku Kyushu is a major first-tier supplier to the Toyota Group and produces seats, door trims and engine components exclusively for Lexus models manufactured by Toyota Motor Kyushu.
At the Honsha Plant, a majority of the production area is spread over two floors of the same building where over 1000 employees are purely making seats. The key processes to produce the seats involve cloth cutting, sewing, foam production, seat track assembly, welding of the frame and final seat assembly.
Being a major supplier to Toyota, the key elements of the Toyota Production System are on display including JIT delivery, kanban and standard work.
As with many factories in Japan in recent years, Toyota Boshoku Kyushu have challenged their employees to consider the zero-energy approach of karakuri to improve efficiency, ergonomics and reduce maintenance costs.
The Honsha Plant tour will also showcase excellent examples of effective visual management tools used throughout the shop floor.
Pune, Maharashtra, India
The Lean Japan Tour by Shinka Management was a truly impactful experience. The learning on Kanban, Standardized Work, Karakuri, and Japanese factory structure was practical, insightful, and directly relevant to strengthening lean culture in our operations. What inspired me most was seeing leaders in the Japanese companies we visited personally demonstrate discipline, respect for standards,…
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Sydney, NSW, Australia
The Shinka Management Lean Japan Tour was a truly eye-opening experience, offering valuable insights into Lean strategies and broader team-building skills. As someone early in my leadership journey, I found the experience particularly impactful. I would highly recommend this tour not only to experienced managers, but also to emerging leaders. I look forward to applying…
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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
The whole tour was very professionally undertaken and led. Paul and Ben have to be congratulated for putting together a very informative and very enjoyable experience. The itinerary was excellent and to see from the raw material all the way through the supply chain through to the finished product was superb. I loved the thought…
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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
It has been a very successful tour with a very friendly and supportive team. All the training materials, factory visits and accommodation have been very well organised. Transport was on time and food has been so amazing. The exposure to the lean tools and techniques and their applications are so practical and I learnt a…
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Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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…
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Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Paul Smith and the team at Shinka Management, in particular Eri Dennis, did an incredible job planning and leading our tailored Japan Study Tour in March 2024. Our team of construction and training professionals learnt and more importantly experienced so much about lean management and Japanese construction, manufacturing and factory practices. Without the expertise and…
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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.
Tour Inquiries
Interested in joining us in Japan? For additional information prior to registration please fill in the form provided or contact us.