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Category: Gemba/Site visit

KBJA Japan Study Trip 2019 Highlights

A vision realized….and continues! Just three weeks ago, I was in the midst of leading a week of learning, culture, and fun with a fabulous

June 6, 2019 No Comments

“Happiness is our purpose” – Ina Foods & Highlights from Japan

I was happy to be back in Japan last months for 2.5 weeks – my fifth trip back to Japan in the 2.5 years since

March 20, 2019 No Comments

Lean Sushi Restaurant in Japan

One might expect that all restaurants in Japan are operated with lean principles, but as I quickly learned when my family moved to Japan nearly

December 4, 2018 No Comments

Top 10 Experiences from Japan Lean Study Trip – May 2018 – #JapanLeanStudyTrip

A vision realized When I moved to Japan in January 2015 I knew that I wanted to learn as much as possible about Japanese culture

June 26, 2018 No Comments

Creating a culture of engagement, respect and customer service at a Japanese accounting firm

How does an accounting company inspire an energized culture where people are excited to go to work every day and provide excellent customer service? I

May 8, 2018 No Comments

You haven’t seen a start-up meeting like this one before: Teppen’s “Honki no Chorei” in Japan

How many morning or “start-up” meetings have you been part of that are fun and invigorating? I bet none as energetic and the one that Tim Wolput

July 11, 2017 1 Comment

Highlights from Japan: conversations with Lean leaders, gemba visits, a daruma pilgrimage, and more

I just got back from a 9-day trip to Japan and it was everything I hoped it would be from both a personal and professional perspective.

June 1, 2017 9 Comments

Returning to Japan – What questions do you have?

I’m at the San Francisco International Airport and about to board my flight back to Japan – the second time since we departed as residents

May 17, 2017 13 Comments

Japan Gemba Visit: Lean Thinking in Government – Part 3 – Redesigning flow and customer service in General Services

In the first two posts in this series, I shared how the leaders of Nakano City, one of the 23 wards within the Tokyo metropolitan area,

May 9, 2017 5 Comments

Japan Gemba Visit: Lean Thinking in Government – Part 2 – Kaizen and Kaikaku to improve service to elderly constituents

In the first post in this series, I shared how the leaders of Nakano City, one of the 23 wards within the Tokyo metropolitan area, describe how

May 1, 2017 1 Comment

Japan Gemba Visit: Lean Thinking in Government – Part 1 – Kaizen, Kaikaku & PDCA to improve customer service

Less than a month before my family wrapped up our time in Japan last June, Tim Wolput of Lean Japan Study Tours invited me to

April 19, 2017 5 Comments

Japan Gemba Visit: Ashikaga Part 4 – Eco-R, using 5S and kaizen to create a sustainable world and joyful society

As I’ve written about in earlier posts, last spring I led a study trip to the Japanese “5S City” of Ashikaga to learn about how organizations in

March 2, 2017 2 Comments

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