What is an immersive lean leadership learning tour to Japan all about? For the global leaders who join my Japan Leadership Experience, it’s much more than learning the technical side of lean and operational excellence.
It’s a journey of leadership and exploring the essence of respect for people:
“holding precious what it means to be human.”
My Japan Leadership Experience is unlike any traditional operational excellence or Japan lean leadership study tour or lean leadership tour to Japan. It’s an immersive journey into the heart of lean, Japanese management, the essence of people-centered leadership, and the cultural practices that make Japan a living classroom for learning and transformation.
If you’re ready to discover these principles firsthand and join a global community committed to purposeful leadership, I invite you to join us for a future Japan Leadership Experience.
Explore the Japan Leadership Experience Program November 2025
In November 2025, I led Cohort 8 of my Japan Leadership Experience—a transformative week of learning, connection, and leadership development rooted in continuous learning and continuous improvement with a cohort of 15 global leaders, Japanologist and co-leader Tim Wolput, and 40-year Toyota leader Isao Yoshino.
I was thrilled that we were also joined by Ikigai expert Nicholas Kemp, whose insights added even greater depth to our exploration of purpose and intention throughout the week. (You can hear Nick and me debrief on the week together—recorded live in Tokyo—on this bonus episode of Chain of Learning).
Strengthening Our Chain of Learning Before the Program Begins
My Japan Leadership Experience always starts way before we gather in Japan. Our Chain of Learning begins to strengthen months ahead of time through pre-trip calls, shared readings, and the early moments of connection that set the tone for an immersive journey and lifelong connections.
This time, I arrived in Tokyo three days before meeting the cohort. Returning every six months to the city—and the neighborhood—I called home for nearly two years is always grounding.
It’s a chance to reconnect with the people who have shaped my understanding of Japanese leadership and people-first leadership practices and supported this program’s growth over the past decade, plus visit with friends and a bit of my life from when we lived in Tokyo a decade ago.
During those first days back, I met with several important links in my own Chain of Learning:
- Miwa Kudo — whom I met in 2015 and who hosted me in Kyushu for deep learning inside Toyota and healthcare organizations. Our friendship and collaboration continue to enrich this work.
- Takao Sakai — who expanded my understanding of Toyota’s chief engineer system and its role in product development excellence. After several years, it was wonderful to reconnect.
- Rochelle Kopp — a long-time friend since our first Twitter exchange in Tokyo nearly a decade ago. Our conversations bridge perspectives from Japan and the U.S.
- Nicholas Kemp — a partner in exploring ikigai, kaizen, and kokorozashi. I’m thrilled he joined Cohort 8 for the full program this year.
While the official kickoff for this lean study tour was on Sunday, these early days in Tokyo reminded me how much this experience is built on relationships, shared curiosity, and a commitment to learning that spans years—not just one week.
Read on to see the learning, transformation, and moments of joy that shaped our week together.
Day 1 — Sunday: Orientation and Toyota Techno Museum
I welcomed another remarkable group of 16 global leaders, all eager to get to the heart of lean, DevOps, agile, and operational excellence.
We kicked off the week with a visit to the Toyota Techno Museum, a powerful starting point for understanding Toyota’s evolution and the principles that underpin the Toyota Production System (TPS), kaizen, and continuous improvement. This first experience helps leaders see how curiosity, experimentation, and respect for people as a foundation of lean leadership have guided Toyota’s growth for nearly a century.
After our museum visit, we gathered for our program orientation and welcome dinner. This is always the moment when the group begins to connect and the learning community starts to take shape.
The orientation was co-facilitated by Tim Wolput, our program coordinator and Japanologist, alongside our special guest Isao Yoshino, 40-year Toyota leader and subject of my book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn, whose decades of leadership experience at Toyota provide invaluable context for the week ahead.
(Tim and Mr. Yoshino have both been guests on my Chain of Learning Podcast and share their experience and insights on being part of the program. Listen to Tim’s episodes part 1 and part 2 of a Japanese Management Masterclass. Listen to Mr. Yoshino’s episode on Toyota Leadership: Lessons from Kan Pro.)
It’s a unique gift of time that Mr. Yoshino brings to my program – joining us for the entire week for conversations over meals, on the bus, and even (this year) at karaoke!
The learning journey to understand the essence of leadership and the principles of lean and the Toyota Production System (TPS) had just begun.
Day 2 — Monday: Mifune Toyota Supplier Company Visit and Tea Ceremony
“One time, one meeting.”
Ichigo ichie.
One moment.
Never before.
Never again.
Yet here we are—together now.
Day 2 invited us into the spirit of presence and appreciation. Through the simplicity and ritual of a traditional tea ceremony, leaders experienced what it means to slow down, empty the mind, and meet each moment with a beginner’s attitude. It was a powerful grounding practice before heading into a full week of learning.
We also visited Mifune, one of our long-standing company partners, where leaders saw how intention, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement show up in daily work. These firsthand experiences help illuminate how values become practices inside Japanese organizations.
I’m grateful for this special group of global leaders who have invested in their learning as individuals (many who self-funded) and cohorts from the same company.
Each cohort develops its own personality—shaped by the leaders who invest in their learning and the Japanese hosts who generously open their doors and share their wisdom.
Standing together in these early moments of the week, I felt deeply connected to my purpose: to connect the hearts and minds of people around the world so we can make it a better place.
That is our Chain of Learning®—now more than 140 leaders strong and still growing.
Each moment of the day invited connection, reflection, and transformation.
Day 3 — Tuesday: Avex Factory Visit, Tsuda Elementary School Visit, and Presentation with Isao Yoshino, Nick Kemp, and Prof. Takai Rizo
Over more than a decade of learning together, my time with Isao Yoshino has become one of the most meaningful parts of leading the Japan Leadership Experience. Being together in person—learning, laughing, and reflecting alongside him—is something I look forward to every time I return to Japan.
Day 3 brought that spirit to life.
We visited Avex, where leaders saw firsthand how craftsmanship, teamwork, and continuous improvement show up in daily operations.
After an inspirational presentation by one of their senior executives, we walked the factory floors and took part in an interactive experience for their safety problem-solving process, with our group split into two cross-functional teams and doing a problem-solving deep dive to mistake-proof actual safety issues that had occurred.
At Tsuda Elementary School, we witnessed how problem-solving, curiosity, and community shape learning from an early age in Japan.
Not only did we get to join the children in their classrooms for lunch—and see how Japanese children are taught standard work and regret for waste (mottanai) at an early age, we then got to observe the daily cleaning (shoji) of the school—done by the children themselves.
Visiting the elementary school is always a special highlight of the entire week!
Throughout the day, Mr. Yoshino shared stories and insights from his 40 years at Toyota—not only in our formal discussion sessions, but in the moments in between: on the bus, over lunch, and during casual conversations that sparked deeper reflection.
I’m deeply grateful for the 11 years of collaboration and friendship with Mr. Yoshino—and for the gift of his time, energy, and wisdom shared so generously with each cohort. These moments together create learning that cannot be replicated in a classroom or a book.
In the afternoon, we gathered for a presentation and discussion led by me and Mr. Yoshino, bringing in concepts from my book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn, including hoshin kanri, the Leading to Learn® framework, and how PDCA is the foundation of learning with hansei (reflection) as the critical component to any learning culture.
We also had a presentation from Nick Kemp and Professor Daiki Kato, about their book Rolefulness, and led a discussion about how we can bringing meaning and intention to the different roles we have—colleague, parent, coach, partner, friend. (For some insights into the concept of Rolefulness, check out my Chain of Learning podcast discussion with Nick) . Their contributions helped broaden the dialogue and deepen the cohort’s understanding.
What makes this leadership development program so special is exactly this: the relationships, the conversations, and the shared discoveries that unfold over a week together in Japan.
It’s far more than a trip—it’s a transformational experience that continues long after we leave Japan.
The journey continued with even more insight, reflection, and connection ahead.
Day 4 — Wednesday: Ina Foods, Traditional Ryokan, Onsen, and Japanese Banquet
“Grasp the essence. What is the purpose?”
The why—not the tools, the methods, or the mechanics—was the central theme of Day 4.
On Day 4, we visited Ina Foods, a company founded by a visionary Chairman whom Toyota leaders consider their own management sensei. His philosophy offers a powerful counterpoint to short-term thinking: take the long-term view, focus on people, and improve a little each day.
I’m grateful for the special relationship I’ve developed with Ina Foods since my first visit in 2018, and to have an exclusive partnership as the only learning group (based outside of Asia) that they host for tours and discussions.
At Ina Foods, leaders learn about Tree-Ring Management, a philosophy centered on nurturing the health of the organization—its people—and allowing growth to emerge naturally over time. Instead of chasing results, they cultivate the conditions for results to follow.
The company’s purpose is simple and profound: happiness.
And they define it through four commitments – and expansion of sanpo yoshi – meaning goodness in three ways – to yonpo yoshi, goodness in four ways (note you can hear me and Nick Kemp talk about this concept on Chain of Learning):
- Customer happiness
- Company and employee happiness
- Community happiness
- Future happiness and sustainability—always looking ahead, beyond the short-term horizon
The rest of the day unfolded in the spirit of Japanese hospitality—a quiet lunch in the Kenritsu Garden, a sake tasting experience hosted by longtime friend and local expert, and a fun celebratory evening together–dressed in traditional yukata (robes) at a ryokan with some of us partaking in an evening of karaoke.
These experiences always deepen the sense of connection within the cohort and reinforce the importance of slowing down to notice the meaning embedded in each moment.
Day 4 invited us to look inward, reconnect with purpose, and consider what long-term stewardship truly means.
Day 5 — Thursday: Daruma Temple, Zen Meditation Experience and Tokyo Food
We began Day 5 with a drive through the mountains with sights of the beautiful fall foliage. Our first stop was Daruma Temple, one of my favorite places in Japan given my obsession with daruma dolls (if you don’t already know about daruma dolls, check out this short video I made as an overview). The temple is a meaningful setting for exploring the connection between reflection, intention, and the deeper.
For the third time on my Japan Leadership Experience program, we included a zazen meditation experience, guided by the head Zen priest.
Sitting in stillness—alongside Mr. Yoshino, 81 years old at the time—offered a rare opportunity to get grounded, quiet the mind, and reconnect with intention. This practice is now an integral part of the Japan Leadership Experience because it opens us to deeper learning and more meaningful reflection.
The symbolism of the Daruma doll added another layer of insight. Darumas have no legs because Bodhidharma meditated so long that he transcended physical limits. They remind us of persistence, patience, and the Japanese proverb:
“Fall down seven times, get up eight.”
Leaders fill in the left eye when setting a goal and the right eye when the goal is achieved — a visual reminder of commitment and resilience. Each year, completed darumas are returned to the temple and burned in a ceremonial bonfire, symbolizing renewal.
It was here that the priest shared a phrase that stayed with all of us:
“Remove the muda (waste) to reveal the inner Buddha.”
His message was simple and profound: clearing the mind of what no longer serves us creates space for wisdom, clarity, and possibility. If an experience from the past is not helping you grow in the present, it becomes waste — something to release.
During our discussion, Nick Kemp asked the priest for some additional words of wisdom. The priest stepped to the chalkboard and wrote four Zen teachings:
- 不立文字 — Not relying on written words
- 教外別伝 — A special transmission outside the teachings
- 直指人心 — Directly pointing to the human heart-mind
- 見性成佛 — Seeing one’s true nature and becoming Buddha
These teachings brought us back to the essence of what underlies lean and TPS: focus on people, learning, wisdom, and the heart of human experience—not just the tools.
These teachings were the inspiration for my last Chain of Learning podcast episode of 2025.
The day concluded with a site visit to Tokyo Foods–which is always a high energy experience to participate in their start up meeting–called a chorei–connecting individual purpose and dreams to their role in the company.
After a sweet potato making experience, we took part in their “Keep, Problem, Try” problem solving process to provide feedback, and then toured the back offices to see how they are using visual management and daily stand up meetings to develop a problem-solving culture that engages everyone.
Watch the highlight video from Tokyo foods here:
Day 6 — Friday: Leadership Presentations and Final Discussion and Graduation
Our final full day brought the cohort back to Tokyo for a leadership presentation, panel discussion, and closing reflections.
We enjoyed a presentation by Professor Kodo Yokozawa on cultural factors that influence engagement with kaizen activities.
Then we were joined by three of my friends and professional colleagues—Toshiko Kawanami, Noriko Ogura and Rochelle Kopp to talk with our program cohort both about their experience as female professionals in Japan and their deep experience helping Japanese companies adopt more of a servant leadership model.
After a week of deep learning, Day 6 centered on synthesizing insights and reconnecting with the core principles of lean and the essence of our learnings.
Wrapping Up the Japan Leadership Experience Cohort 8
Congratulations to the graduates of the Japan Leadership Experience Cohort 8! 🎉
Transformation can happen in a week.
This was a journey to understand the essence of leadership and the principles of lean and TPS:
- Holding precious what it means to be human — what “respect for people” looks like in practice
- Purpose is essential — for companies and individuals
- People first — profit is excrement (a natural byproduct of a healthy company)
- Start small
- Keep it simple — don’t overcomplicate tools and methods
- Set a seemingly impossible challenge and embrace the failures of learning along the way
- Create the conditions for people to thrive — to be happy and contribute their best thinking
- Inspire dreams
- Remove the muda to reveal the Buddha
- It starts with you — develop yourself so that you can develop others, and together work to make things better
- Kaizen is never-ending
Thanks to all of the participants for entrusting me on their learning journey and I look forward to supporting the application of their transformation and learning. The bonds created before and strengthened during the week are strong and I love that each group continues to stay connected to help and support each other.
More Than a Trip to Japan – A Transformative Leadership Development Program
If reading and learning about this week resonated with you, imagine experiencing it firsthand: learning side by side with Isao Yoshino, hearing stories that never make it into books, visiting companies that quietly embody excellence, and stepping into moments of reflection that help you see your work—and yourself—differently.
That’s what the Japan Leadership Experience offers.
Not a study tour.
Not a training program.
…a people-centered leadership development and lean learning tour and a transformational immersion into what leadership, purpose, and continuous improvement look like when lived with intention.
I would be honored for you to join me, Tim Wolput, and our community of more than 140 global leaders who have strengthened their leadership through this experience getting real hands-on experience with lean management principles.
Come join our Chain of Learning® in Japan.
Highlight from Past Participant Himanshu Raj on His Experience at Ina Foods
A special thank you Himanshu Raj for this powerful endorsement of the journey on my Japan Leadership Experience: a discovery of the essence of what it means to be human – from November 2024.
To lead and create an organization that creates goodness for the customer, the company, and the community.
It’s my purpose to connect the hearts and minds of people around the world so that — together — we can make it a better place. Curating and leading this experience now for over 140 global leaders is my ikigai.
LinkedIn Post from Himanshu Raj:
“Exactly one year ago today, I got the opportunity to experience a company that completely reshaped my thinking.
Walking into Ina Foods, Japan felt like stepping into the future of what operational excellence, culture, and purpose-driven growth truly look like.
That experience became a personal benchmark.
It clarified my own vision of what “good” looks like, and more importantly, what “great” can become when people, processes, and purpose come together with intention.
Some experiences push you forward.
A few transform you.
This one did both.
A heartfelt thank you to Katie Anderson for giving me this unforgettable birthday gift.
Grateful for people who open doors to new perspectives.”
