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Katie Anderson's
Japan Leadership Experience
The ultimate comprehensive, immersive learning experience to revitalize your passion for continuous improvement and deepen your knowledge of what it REALLY takes to create an organizational culture of learning and performance excellence. Come on a journey to the understand the essence of respect for people: holding precious what it means to be human.
Katie Anderson's
Japan Leadership Experience
The ultimate comprehensive, immersive learning experience to revitalize your passion for continuous improvement and deepen your knowledge of what it REALLY takes to create an organizational culture of learning and performance excellence.
Now Accepting Applications:
November 8-14, 2026
Early registration rates for the November 2026 cohort are available for a limited time now. The May 2026 cohort is SOLD OUT!
BONUS: 81-year old Toyota leader Isao Yoshino plans on joining the entire 6-day tours in Japan. You get exclusive access to an influential leader who helped shape the Toyota Way and the opportunity to share meals and personal conversations during the full week. This level of access to Mr. Yoshino is exclusive to Katie Anderson's Japan programs.
November 8-14, 2026
What is Katie Anderson’s
Japan Leadership Experience?
This comprehensive leadership development experience will take your impact to the next level and accelerate your leadership, no matter your role or industry. Your investment is more than an incredible trip to Japan….it is an immersive leadership program that includes pre-trip and post-trip learning and facilitated discussions with Kate Anderson and Japanese business experts, PLUS a highly curated, once-in-a-lifetime immersive week-long trip to the birthplace of the Toyota Production System where you will discover the principles behind what makes Japanese companies the best in the world…
….that you simply cannot get from reading a book or in the classroom!
Whether you’re a lean consultant or agile coach looking for new ideas to refresh your approach and get better client outcomes, an operational manager or senior leader wanting to improve production outputs AND employee engagement, an executive or leadership team seeking alignment on your vision for innovation and culture in your organization, or simply a learning enthusiast who has been dreaming about a holistic learning experience in Japan.
This immersive leadership development experience will invigorate your passion for empowered learning cultures and equip you with principles, practices, and mindset you need to create them.
Who Joins Katie Anderson's Immersive Japan Leadership Experience and Why?
iThis immersive program is for executives and operational leaders who are searching for deeper insights into how to create and sustain exceptional performance, internal and external consultants who want to create effective continuous improvement management systems, and lean, agile, and operational excellence practitioners who seek to be more than just value analysis and waste reduction experts and become transformational change leaders.
The Japan Leadership Experience is more than a trip to Japan.
It’s an immersive leadership accelerator for your personal and professional impact.
Regardless of your industry or role, Katie Anderson’s Japan Leadership Experience will revitalize and enrich your approach to your work… and your life.
Katie Anderson’s Japan Leadership Experience is for....
Operations Executives
who know that there is a better way to achieve productivity and results beyond just processes and numbers.
Internal Change Leaders
who want to influence alignment of their organization around purpose, people and process.
External Consultants
who want to find better ways to stand out, attract clients, and deliver stronger client results, whether coming by themselves or bringing clients with them on the same cohort.
Intact Leadership Teams
who want to transform how they lead and work together as a team, unify their organization, build a culture of respect, and create an aligned approach to long-term growth.
Over 150 global leaders – from lean practitioners to operational executives to consultants, working in diverse industries including biotech, manufacturing, healthcare, government, energy, mining, and technology, from countries across six continents including Australia, Brazil, UK, Germany, Hungary, United States, Canada, Argentina, Chile, Netherlands, Laos, and more…have joined my on the Japan Leadership Experience since 2018 to accelerate their personal, career and leadership growth and cultivate high-performing, people-centered learning cultures in their organizations.
I’d be honored to help you achieve this too by joining us on the next Japan Leadership Experience!
Yes, you’ll learn about lean management, kaizen, customer service, process efficiency, and so much more…
Here’s what you get when you participate in this comprehensive, dynamic, curated, high-energy – and fun – leadership development program!
Site Visits Across Industries
The heart of your experience during the 6-day program in Japan includes visits to multiple Japanese companies, in a variety of industries, so you can see with your own eyes and learn directly from leaders on how to create a culture of respect, customer service, and continuous improvement.
Food & Cultural Experiences
Enjoy authentic, excellent Japanese food and culture as we travel through Tokyo, Nagoya and the countryside and mountains in between. Breakfast and lunch are included during the program, as well as a welcome dinner and traditional Japanese banquet dinner! During the program, we will include opportunities for other cultural and sightseeing experiences to enrich your learning – and fun!
Lectures & Discussions with Japanese Executives
Learn from Japanese CEOs and senior executives from Toyota, Toyota suppliers, and other diverse companies, through lectures and discussions. During the program, you will have the opportunity to talk directly with many Japanese leaders, and to “go to gemba” with them to see their company’s operations.
In-Country Travel & 4-Star Accommodations
You take care of your own travel to and from the program and my team will take care of the rest! We’ll set up your in-country travel for the entirety of the program, including 4- star accommodations in Nagoya and Tokyo and one night at a traditional Japanese ryokan and onsen, transportation, and travel advice.
Want more of the details on what’s included in the program and a sample itinerary?
“Katie’s Japan leadership experience is an epic, life-changing, 10 out of 10 experience that exceeded all my expectations. I loved the rounded out approach that not only focused on the Toyota Production System, but also on the business culture, Japanese culture and unique Japanese experiences. I am now focused on my purpose to create joy at work and growing people on my team so that I can grow my company.”
“The Japan Leadership Experience was such an amazing learning immersion - from the culture to the food, to the people that we were able to meet, and build relationships with. It put my efforts in creating culture change into perspective and how shifting culture takes time and how important the shift is to sustain the future workforce and success.”
“It was a long time waiting for my opportunity to participate in Katie's Japan leadership program but oh so worth every minute! It was a week packed with incredible presentations from leaders, insightful site visits, engaging discussions with group participants, and so much learning to unpack and digest. This program is for you if you want to go to gemba and see with your own eyes what it means to live and breathe Lean practice & leadership. It will provide you with life-long lessons and a network of like-minded leaders to geek out with! I hope many more people get to experience this!!!”
Katie Anderson's Japan Leadership Experience re-energized my Continuous Process Improvement efforts. It offered a culturally immersive, meaningful experience that transformed my leadership. I’m now a better listener, more engaged with my team, and equipped with invaluable insights. This trip was a great investment in our company’s future, providing knowledge you can't get from books.
What makes this Japan Leadership Experience
unique and exclusive?
Exclusive Access to Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino
You will have direct access to Mr. Isao Yoshino, a retired 40-year Toyota executive who is the subject of my internationally bestselling book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning. Not only will Mr. Yoshino provide formal lectures and be part of facilitated group discussions, you’ll be able to spend time with him in private conversation at meals, on the bus, and at site visits over multiple days of the program. This exclusive level of access to Mr. Yoshino is not available on any other lean tour in Japan!
Facilitated Discussions Before, During and After the Trip
Throughout the program, you’ll also have unique access to me, Katie Anderson, and my expertise in creating learning cultures and experience of living in Japan. Not only will I facilitate group discussions and daily reflection exercises during your time in Japan, you’ll get pre-trip and post-trip calls, readings, videos and resources to deepen and enhance your learning experience. As a result, what you discover in Japan will be transformational in every aspect of your work, career and life.
Networking and Global Connections
One of the best parts of going on a trip like this with me is meeting like-minded peers who you can “geek out” with on the things you’re passionate about and share insights from your leadership experiences leading change. You’ll develop a global network that will make your learning experience more meaningful and fun, and that you can tap into long after you return home! You truly will be building a Chain of Learning together.
Custom Program Development
The Japan leadership development experience might be one part of the work we do together to accelerate your leadership impact. If you’re coming as a group from the same organization, we can partner together to leverage the experience for team building and culture change through additional consulting. Or if you’re looking to grow your internal influence as a change leader, or are an external consultant looking to incorporate your learnings into your clients’ success, we can make the trip a key component of a broader trusted advisor program.
“I was so fortunate to be invited by my organization to join the Japan Leadership Experience program with Katie Anderson. Having never been to Japan before I found Katie’s experience, knowledge, and personal connections to be extremely valuable. Katie and her team did an excellent job of combining incredible learning with fun, real, cultural experiences. I felt well prepared to engage with Japanese culture. I would recommend this program with Katie Anderson to everyone wholeheartedly!”
“The Japan Leadership Experience was a great learning and culture experience! As a result of the exceptional organization and Katie’s wealth of knowledge about Japan and its culture, my understanding of lean expanded beyond the theoretical and my natural focus on numbers. My horizons on KPI’s expanded to include employee and community happiness and joy and reinforced my belief that
the numbers (profit) will naturally flow from respect for people and a happy workforce.”
“I had been reading so much about the Toyota Production System going to Japan became a necessity to advance my understanding of these concepts. I choose to go with Katie because of her amazing relationship with Mr. Yoshino, her passion for learning cultures and the chance to see her philosophy is shown first-hand. As a result of this experience, I have become a better listener. This was an amazing experience that will live in me for as long as I live.”
“Katie Anderson's Japan experience has impacted me both professionally and personally. The pre-work that made me feel so prepared, the exposure to exceptional leaders, the camaraderie of the group, the cultural deep dive and the masterful way Katie orchestrates it all simply cannot be matched. As I told Katie, if "the way you do one thing is the way you do everything" the trip inspired me to do everything with love. At TrippNT, which is small, that could mean anything from designing new benefits with love to cleaning the toilets with love!”
“The Japan Study Trip program transformed my approach to leadership, showing me how to create environments where employees thrive. It deepened my understanding of lean principles and improved my ability to coach and lead. Senior leaders are now more engaged, and staff feel more supported. I highly recommend going to Japan with Katie for any leader or consultant.”
Consultants
Going to Japan Will Help You Grow your Practice & Get Better Results
"Katie's Japan Leadership Experience has transformed how I coach executives — helping me get beyond the technical aspects of improvement to a deeper understanding of what it truly takes to be a serious leader. I've now joined three times — first on my own, and then bringing executive teams with me. Coming together as a senior team creates a common reference point they've used to challenge and push each other's thinking long after the trip. Katie's Japan Leadership Experience is the most supercharged leadership development experience out there — it's worth a thousand times any book or other training."
Brad Toussaint
Principal, Toussaint Management Consulting (USA)
"Being part of Katie's Japan Leadership Experience — not just once, but twice — has been both career and life-changing. It’s shifted me from a typical consultant who just delivered projects to an all-level management coach who helps leaders understand what's truly possible and create meaningful change. Bringing my clients with me accelerated everything: watching them change in real time was something I could not have engineered any other way. Katie's Japan Leadership Experience is the best value leadership development experience out there. If you want to stop delivering tools and start creating real transformation — for your clients and for yourself — you need to go to Japan with Katie."
“As a result of participating in Katie Anderson’s Japan program, I have a renewed sense of purpose and passion for continuous improvement and lean and now have a pipeline of work in Ireland, UK & Canada in various sectors .”
Ian Balfour
Ian Balfour Consultancy Limited (UK)
OPERATIONS Leaders
Going to Japan Will Transform You into a People-First Leader Who Can Achieve Engagement AND Productivity
“After going on Katie’s Japan program I implemented a real people-first approach to my leadership and our systems. As a result, our leadership team changed our approach to our metrics and how we communicated with team members -- employee engagement increased from 63% to 86% in three months alongside significant improvements in productivity, quality, and cost. I want to bring my leaders with me on a future Japan Leadership Experience with Katie.”
Gustavo Lopes
Business System Senior Manager, Norsk Hydro (Brazil)
"The Japan Leadership Experience showed me what people-centered leadership actually looks like. Experiencing it together — with my colleague and our consultant beside us — was extraordinary. Within months, we hit operational numbers we'd never seen before and it came from people finally feeling safe to try. It’s made an extremely positive impact on me and our team. Going to Japan with Katie a must for any leader serious about wanting to leave a lasting legacy."
Agustin Torres
Operations Manager, Viscofan (Czech Republic / Venuzeula)
“The Japan Leadership Experience program transformed my leadership, teaching me patience and respect, which strengthened my team and created a closer, more cohesive group. The immersive experience also fostered a shared mindset across divisions, enhancing collaboration. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that deeply impacted my work and relationships.”
Derek “DJ” Lewis
Marine Maintenance Crew Chief, Port of Seattle (USA)
Intact Leadership Teams + EXECUTIVES
Going to Japan Will Align Your Leadership Team on How Building a Culture of Respect and Learning Drives Ongoing Organizational Success
"The Japan Leadership Experience was the highlight of my life — there's just no doubt about it. From a methodology perspective, it brought everything down to earth and made it real. We still go back and talk about it, still text about it, still use visuals from the trip. I draw on the experience continually. Katie's credibility, the depth of her relationships in Japan, and seeing these principles alive in the culture where they originated — you combine those three factors, and you've got a transformational experience that continues to bear fruit years later.
Jim Griffith
COO, Tanner Healthcare
“Going to Japan with Katie transformed our leadership team. The biggest lesson we brought back was the power of alignment. We are now 1,000% aligned in our conviction to prioritize respect for our people, which has given us clarity, purpose, and a renewed sense of joy and happiness in our work. Personally, my vision for leadership is now much clearer and more joyful than ever before."
Dr. Amy Chaumeton
Associate Medical Director, Legacy Health
"Our experience as a leadership team in Japan with Katie was a fantastic restart for our company. As company founder and now Chairman, investing in our leaders is critical to our long-term success. I joined the program along with five of our senior executives, plant leaders, and our external consultant, with the goal to renew our focus on operational excellence, lean management, and a people-first culture. The entire program was energizing -- the incredible program and facilitation by Katie and her team, conversations with Japanese leaders whose organizations we visited, and discussions with our fellow program participants. By the second day, the eyes of our team started to sparkle and I knew—mission accomplished. We have to go back to the basics and do this right. It starts with us as leaders. I’d love to join Katie’s Japan Leadership Experience again to further enrich my learning, and want to send more of our leaders to have this transformational experience.”
Johannes F. Somers
Executive Chairman, Diep Vu co Ltd
“Being part of the Japan Leadership Experience with my colleagues and our coach Brad accelerated our lean journey. We are now 1000% aligned around our conviction about respect for our people and what we need to do to improve the financial health of our organization. Personally, I’m a more courageous leader who can approach challenges with clarity and give space for my people to take responsibly for problem-solving. It’s been rewarding to see my team evolve as I support their growth—an outcome directly tied to the insights we gained in Japan with Katie.”
Kecia M. Kelley
SVP and Chief Nursing Officer at Legacy Health
Want to Read More Reviews from Past Japan Study Trip Leadership Program Participants?
I know it’s a big decision and investment to join on the Japan Leadership Experience.
There are other Japan lean tours to choose from, but none that offer the unique and immersive leadership program that you’ll get with me. This is comprehensive leadership development experience that includes curated and facilitated pre-trip learning, an immersive week in Japan, and follow-up to ensure application to take your learning into impact.
You will get a powerful return on your investment, professionally and personally. This is truly a transformation
Don’t take my word for it! I invite you to read more reviews from some of the 150 + past participants including executives, operations managers, consultants, and internal change leaders who have experienced profound impact from investing in their leadership with me.
Be sure to listen to past participants share the impact of the program on my podcast Chain of Learning, including Isaac Mitchell, Stephanie Bursek, Patrick Adams, Brad Toussaint, Kecia Kelly, Shawn Carner, and many more
Your Host
Are you ready for the leadership development experience of a lifetime?
I’m Katie Anderson and I’m excited to share my deep knowledge of Japan, leadership, and learning cultures with you!
In 2015, after 15 years of success as a performance improvement consultant and lean transformation expert, I had the opportunity to move to Japan with my family for nearly two years. During this time, I studied the Japanese culture, language, and management system practices that Japanese leaders use to develop cultures of continuous improvement and customer service, and created special relationship with incredible Japanese business leaders.
I also developed a partnership with 40-year Toyota leader Isao, with whom I’ve collaborated with around the globe for over a decade and whose experiences at Toyota I documented in my Shingo-award winning book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning.
The past decade, I’ve made it my mission to give others who share my passion for learning cultures a similar experience to learn about lean and cultures of excellence in the source, and the Japan Leadership Experience (then called the Japan Study Trip leadership program) was born in 2018. Since then, more than 130 global leaders have joined me for this transformational leadership learning experience!
I’m excited to share with you my insider knowledge of Japan and the personal and professional relationships I’ve cultivated with Japanese business leaders and companies since 2015.
I look forward to hosting you and supporting your enriched consulting and leadership impact!
Katie
