Japan Study Trip Highlights: May 2024

What is a leader’s role in creating a culture of continuous improvement? How can you create a sustainable lean culture? What is the real meaning of kaizen? What does “respect for people” mean at Toyota? How can leaders be serious about what it takes to create a culture of excellence?

On my fifth edition of the Japan Study Trip leadership development program – in May 2024 – 18 global leaders joined me to explore these topics in an immersive learning experience, including a six-day learning program in Japan and pre-trip seminars and learning.

My next program in November 2024 sold out over six months in advance and new trip dates for 2025 have been put on the calendar.

Check out the Japan Study Trip Program website to learn about upcoming trips and how you too can transform your leadership impact. If you’re ready to accelerate your leadership – don’t wait to invest in the leadership development experience of a lifetime!

Join me on the next Japan Study Trip program!

A Glimpse into the May 2024 Japan Study Trip: Highlights, Insights, and Lasting Impact

This post just scratches the surface on the highlights from and impact of the program.

This summary post is created from my daily posts and videos shared on LinkedIn and YouTube.

For some additional videos, be sure to check out the bottom of the post or visit my YouTube Channel some other videos I made during this trip – including Japanese elevator etiquette, how to get money from an ATM,  and how to use an umbrella in Japan!

And listen in to Chain of Learning podcast episodes with executive coach Brad Toussaint (who joined the program for the second time) and executive leaders Kecia Kelly and Amy Chaumaton where they share the transformational impact of what they learned on my Japan Study Trip program and how they are applying those learnings to lead change.

I invite you to also follow me on LinkedIn and check out the Japan category on this blog to go back to view nearly a decade of insights of mine from living in Japan and leading Japan Study Trip learning programs since 2018.

Introducing the May 2024 Japan Study Trip Cohort

I was thrilled to welcome another amazing and diverse cohort of global leaders to Japan for the experience of a lifetime!

The May 2024 cohort consisted of several cohorts of leaders from the same organization, individual change leaders and external consultants, all on a mission to uplevel their leadership impact and deepen their understanding of what really makes a difference in organizations.

We had leaders participate from around the globe including from the U.S., Czech Republic, Brazil, UK and France!

From healthcare executives, government leaders, small business owners, agile and lean specialists including Brad Toussaint, John Collodora, Gustavo Silva, Ian Balfour, Cyrille Tichy,  Crystal Manes, Stephanie Bursek, and Josef Procházka — all are united by a passion for continuous learning, respect for people, and organizational excellence.

Be sure to check out the LinkedIn and blog posts made by May 2024 trip participants including:

• Josef Procházka
• Gustavo Lopes da Silva
• Amanda Loewen 
• John Collodora
• Kecia Kelly

Day 1 – Sunday – Nagoya: Orientation and Toyota Techno Museum

Day 1 of my May 2024  Japan Study Trip kicked off with a fantastic start!

I was thrilled to be joined by Isao Yoshino (40 year Toyota leader and subject of my Shingo Institute award winning book “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn”), business partner and friend Tim Wolput, and 18 global leaders to start our immersive learning week in Japan.

We started our program on Sunday in Nagoya with a visit to the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Innovation and Technology to witness the evolution of Toyota from looms to car manufacturing and the world-famous Toyota Production System.

We then convened for our official kick-off and orientation (though our collaborative learning began months ago to prime the learning experiences here in Japan) and a discussion with Mr. Yoshino (watch the video to the end for some of his nuggets of wisdom) and a delicious Teppanyaki welcome dinner.

Mr. Yoshino gifted everyone with handcrafted coasters made with Japanese Cyprus – which he engraved with my logo (hanko). What an incredibly special gift for everyone!

Day 2 Monday – Toyota City – Toyota Tier-2 Supplier, Toyota Kaikan Museum, and Toyota Management Institute Obeya Seminar

Day 2 of the May 2024 Japan Study Trip was a wonderful full day of gemba learning, discussions with top Toyota and Japanese business leaders, amazing food, and friendships being forged that will last a lifetime!

Monday was a rainy day in Nagoya and thankfully our least “outside” day of the program. Our focus continued to be on Toyota and its management history and legacy.

We ventured one hour via bus – accompanied by Toyota leader Isao Yoshino, with whom participants got to talk with on the bus and over meals the entire day.

First stop – a tier 2 supplier I’ve been visiting for over 7 years and hosted by its knowledgeable and passionate Chairman who shared the principles behind Just-in-Time and Jidoka (built in quality).

A question posed by the chairman: is TPS (the Toyota Production System) a philosophy or a practice? And what is the relationship between TPS and what we call lean?

Then we continued on to a Japanese curry lunch and a brief stop at the historic Toyota Motor Corporation Kaikan Museum before returning to Nagoya.

Our afternoon was an immersive session with the Toyota Management Institute – which had Mr. Yoshino exclaiming in enthusiasm about the deep meaning and connections about leadership.

Key Takeaways from Day 2:

✨ trust matters — and a long term view is essential

✨ be serious and “show your back”

✨ ”humans are the most unreliable part of a process but are the greatest source of genius”

✨ go to gemba with intention to learn and show you care

✨ PEOPLE and then PROCESS and the steps to RESULTS

✨ Contiuous Improvement = Wisdom and #Kaizen

✨ #5S is more than workplace organization— it’s a way to develop people

And so much more…

No day is complete without camaraderie and delicious food – especially when my good friend and expert Japanese HR leader Nami-san can join us (learn more about Nami in my post from the May 2023 Japan Study Trip program).

Day 3 – Tuesday – Nagoya – Toyota Supplier, Japanese Elementary School, and Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony

Day 3 of the Japan Study Trip – It’s ALL about people first! This is the resounding takeaway of our group from just 3 days in Japan.

The learning journey on the Japan Study Trip continues!

I learned a new phrase from Tim Wolput, which sums up so much:

“ichigo iche” – meaning roughly “in this moment is a once in a lifetime opportunity”

Experiences are just once and we must treasure them. And I treasure each day and the opportunity to spend a week hosting 18 amazing people from around the world.

Beyond going to companies to learn about their leadership— I’m intentional that the learning experiences of our program are comprehensive – a combination of business learning and culture (and great food).

First – an inspirational high-precision metal manufacturer that invests in its people – no layoffs even in challenging times. Humans are the source of innovation and the way to prosperity into the future.

Second – we enjoyed a school lunch served by the kids and engaging with the elementary school children while they played and cleaned the school (yes the kids are the ones who clean the schools!) to learn how regret for waste, teamwork, and self-motivation starts at a young age.

Third – delighting in the beauty and Omotenashi of a traditional tea ceremony with Isao Yoshino as our guest of honor .

Tea Ceremony – Mr. Yoshino joined as the person of honor

The beauty of being in the moment. 

In appreciating this one time today that will never come again. And taking time for the quiet and stillness — in the midst of lots of doing — that makes today a great day.

In the spirit of our wonderful Japanese tea ceremony – learning the essence of hospitality, respect, and gratitude for the moment through service and connection with others.

We started our day with a business gemba visit followed by lunch at an elementary school and then onto this special Japanese ritual — full of kata (routines) in a Japanese tea ceremony.

Mr. Yoshino was the guest of honor.

The Chain of Learning deepens and grows each day.

Hansei Reflections from Day 3

We wrapped up our learning on Day 3 with hansei (reflections) and discussion with our group and Mr Yoshino and another delicious dinner.

Key Takeaways from Day 3:

✨ “We cannot consider people as a cost, but rather as a human treasure that will help propel the company into the future”

✨accept that all of our jobs will eventually be replaced by something or someone. It’s how we innovate, invest in people, and take the long term view

✨kaizen is a great way to share, improve, and create good energy across the company

✨a crisis or downturn is an opportunity to develop strength rather than simple endure

✨leaders’ jobs are to create the conditions for people to get results and thrive, not to get the results themselves

✨embrace the beauty in the moment that we share together

Treasure each moment. Treasure each person.

Day 4 – Wednesday – Nagano Prefecture – Ina Foods, Sake Tasting, and Ryokan Experience

Day 4 – May 2024 Japan Study Trip is focused on one of the most special companies in my heart.

Today we traveled many hours from Nagoya into the Nagano Prefecture in the Japan Alps to visit Ina Foods.

If you’ve been listening to my podcast Chain of Learning, reading some of my articles in IndustryWeek, or heard recent keynotes you’ll know how impactful my relationship with this company over the past 6 years has been.

They embody what it means to put people and their happiness first. In fact they consider “happiness” to be their purpose.

How do you measure happiness? You don’t.

You focus on the process of creating happiness by enabling the conditions and environment at work for people to contribute, feel comfortable, and be part of a community.

“Life is precious. Don’t waste a precious life” is embodied by their 100 year calendar.

I asked about the COO’s comment to me from October (which I explored in Chain of Learning episode 4) that leaders need to focus more on being than doing.

He answered that if you don’t know HOW to be you won’t know WHAT to do.

I also learned a new phrase: Arubeki Sugata → “how things should be”.

If you don’t know who you want to BE you won’t be able to do the right thing.

It all starts with purpose. And that purpose is grounded in people.

In addition to the inspirational learnings we also got to delight in lunch at their gardens and sake tasting before traveling to the beautiful traditional Japanese ryokan by a lake for a meal in our yukata and a soak in the onsen.

My heart is full from another amazing day and being able to share these experiences and relationships cultivated over a decade with this group of fabulous heart-connected leaders from around the world.

Day 5 – Thursday – Daruma Temple, Kurasushi, Ogura Kinzoku + Tokyo Foods

Thursday continued our learning journey and travels across Japan – moving onward from the Nagano prefecture where we enjoyed our traditional Japanese ryokan experience the night before.

✨First – through Gunma prefecture to one of my favorite spots in Japan: the Daruma temple! Companies and individuals leave their completed darumas at the temple to be lit into a bonfire each January – hands the piled high darumas of all shapes and sizes behind the temple gates.

✨Second – lunch at the famous lean conveyor belt sushi restaurant Kura Sushi (which has already begun expansion to the U.S. and other countries!). The visual management and pull system is impressive – and the food delicious, cheap, and fast. 20 of us in and out in under 30 min for just about ¥1500 each (US$10)!

✨Third – onto Ogura Kinzoku, a metal stamping company in the Tochigi prefecture run by my good friend Noriko Ogura and her family.

This was one of the first companies I got to know when I lived in Japan and her leadership is inspirational. 5S is used in a joyful manner and is led by employees.

Everyone writes regular thank you cards, which Mrs Ogura and her husband read weekly. Mrs Orgura hand-wrote thank you cards to everyone on our tour and handed them out before we said goodbye.

✨Fourth – onto the high-energy experience at Tokyo Foods – a sweet potato food company – to take part in their daily start-up meeting where everyone is encouraged to identify their life dream and share what their top goal in life is. Some of our participants helped produce some sweet potato treats for us all to take home!

✨And finally we ended up in the heart of Tokyo – staying at a hotel right above the famous Shibuya crossing – aka “Shibuya Scramble”.

So much rich learning – as always.

Key Takeaways from Day 5:

✨5S can be fun and creative – visual management doesn’t have to be boring as long as it conveys the intended meaning and is owned by the people who work there

✨ leaders create the conditions for employees to be motivated to take ownership and responsibility—forcing things top down doesn’t work

✨the goal should be about creating an environment where people want to work and contribute. When you do that you get the results you need for the business.

I’m grateful for the relationships I’ve made over nearly 10 years of living in and traveling to Japan and to share these with global leaders in person on these trips – and our takeaways here and on my podcast Chain of Learning!

Day 6 – Friday – Mr. Katsuhiko Eguchi on Konosuke Matsushita’s leadership at Panasonic, Graduation and Celebration Dinner

Learning about people-centered leadership and cultures of excellence in Japan isn’t just about Toyota and its suppliers (though of course they are a core part of my Japan Study Trip programs).

It’s also about learning from other inspiring leaders who have achieved excellence — with the key theme of focusing on PEOPLE as the way to achieve results.

On Friday our group had the honor to spend the day with revered Japanese leader Mr. Katsuhiko Eguchi, as well as Toyota leader Isao Yoshino.

I’ve pasted a lightly edited English translation of Gustavo Lopes da Silva’s summary of the session here:

“Now 84 years old, Mr. Eguchi is the former director of Matsushita Electric, where he served as Konosuke Matsushita’s assistant for 23 years, and served as a senator in Japan from 2010-2016.

It is important to remember that Matsushita Konosuke, founder of Panasonic is known in Japan as the god of management.

Their work philosophy: “PEOPLE FIRST”.

In 1964 “LIFE” magazine referred to him as a 5-faceted person: top industrialist, great money-maker, philosopher, magazine publisher and a best-seeing author.

Mr. Eguchi shared with us what he learned from Matsushita over 23 years of working alongside him. Always present in Mr. Eguchi’s speech is the need to look at people first.

Mr. Eguchi was once asked by Matsushita about the number of employees the Panasonic Group had at the time and when Mr. Eguchi replied, “250,” Matsushita said, “No Eguchi, you haven’t learned yet… there are 1,000 employees”, this is because for Matsushita the responsibility of the leader extends to the families, so the number 1,000 also included the families of the employees.

Mr. Eguchi reinforced to us thoughts that for him are immutable:

1. Be 1000% convinced that what you are doing for people is the best thing to do;
2. Keep doing it over and over again, even if others ignore it;
3. Help people understand what they’re doing (give direction).”

The learnings across all of these leaders and organizations is simple — yet profound: focus on people. Be serious. Create joy. Foster learning.

The results will follow.

Reflecting on the May 2024 Japan Study Trip: A Journey of Learning, Culture, and Connection That Lives On

This Japan Study Trip May 2024 has come to an end … but the impact of this incredible and intense week of learning, culture, and connections is just beginning.

I’m always a bit sad when these trips come to an end because of the special time we have all gotten to spend together.

I get so much joy from sharing my connections and insights from living and spending time in Japan with leaders around the world.

And I’m so grateful for the wonderful leaders of diverse backgrounds and industries who join me — all committed to making the world a better place and learning how they can continue to make a positive impact.

Join me in Japan for the next Japan Study Trip program!

Apply today and join me for the experience of a lifetime.

Spaces are limited and the program always sells out!

Check out other videos from Japan

Here are some other videos I recorded from this recent trip to Japan. For more videos and highlights be sure to subscribe to my channel on YouTube and check out the videos in the Japan folder.

• Japanese Elevator Etiquette 
• Get Cash Easily in Japan
• Using an Umbrella in Japan