See What “Good” Looks Like — Together
Your team returns from Japan aligned, energized, and ready to lead real change.
November 15–21, 2026 · Nagoya & Tokyo, Japan
From $6,350 USD per participant · Personalized Attention · Flights to and from Japan not included
Inquire for November 2026 — We'll Send You a Free Brochure250+
Tours since 2000
90%
Repeat Customers
250+
Sites Visited
6
Continents Represented
Who Joins the Japan Lean Experience?
Lean & Operations Managers
You've read the books. You know the theory. But seeing a Lean Japanese factory live — and debriefing with your team the same day on what is applicable and how — is what will drive tangible results.
Consultants & Coaches
Your clients don't always trust what they can't see. Bring them to Japan and let the host sites make the case for you. We will work with you as one team to ensure success for your clients.
Executive Teams
Alignment is hard to get in a boardroom. It is a lot easier when the leadership sees the same thing, discusses it, and comes away with a clear shared vision including specific actions.
Why Makoto?
Your Host
Brad Schmidt was born in Japan, native in Japanese, with over 25 years in Lean as an internal manager, external consultant and executive. With an active consulting company in Japan, you are sure to get an insider's perspective.
Our JIDOKA Factory
We operate our own equipment making factory where we design and make JIDOKA automation for customers including for the Toyota group.
Unmatched Access
250+ sites. 25+ years of relationships. Many visits are exclusive to Makoto groups. We seek to understand your issues and match the sites accordingly.
Headquarters Kaizen
We apply lean across the whole company — Finance, HR, R&D, Engineering, IT. We can help your team see how Lean principles apply to support services.
Your Week in Japan
November 15–21, 2026
Sun Nov 15
ANA Crown Plaza Nagoya
Mon Nov 16
ANA Crown Plaza Nagoya
Tue Nov 17
ANA Crown Plaza Nagoya
Wed Nov 18
ANA Crown Plaza Nagoya
Thu Nov 19
Transfer → Hotel Shinagawa Prince, Tokyo
Fri Nov 20
Hotel Shinagawa Prince, Tokyo
Sat Nov 21
Scroll right to see the full week →
📱 We also have a proprietary tours mobile app — you'll be notified of any schedule changes or updates in real time.
Diverse Sites — A Clear Picture of “Good”
Five world-class Japanese companies — selected for what they can teach your team.
Plastic Molding: IoT & Visual Management
Est. 1945 · 388 employees · ¥5.04B sales (2021) · ISO 9001
Precision resin molding processing, assembly, welding, mold design and production.
- ✓Safety & High Quality, No Violation Campaign
- ✓IoT real-time monitoring
- ✓STOP-CALL-WAIT visual management
- ✓Global Engineering Center for skills development
Heavy Machinery: Making it Fun & Employee Training
Est. 1999 · 260+ employees · approx. ¥1B sales (2021)
Design, manufacture, maintenance and service of construction and transport machinery.
- ✓Lean thinking brought into hardware
- ✓Professional training: well paid employees who walk the floor see problems and fix them
- ✓30% efficiency gains
Post Office: Logistics & Digital Transformation
Est. 2007 · 217 employees · approx. ¥1,250B revenue (FY2024)
Counter Services and Mail & Logistics Services — two main pillars.
- ✓Home of the Tokai Postal Training Center (only facility in the Tokai region)
- ✓Systematic employee training program
- ✓Digital transformation in logistics
- ✓Lean in a non-manufacturing environment
Machined Parts: Machine Reliability & Worker Skill
Est. 1949 · 400 employees · $76M USD (2021) · ISO 9001, ISO 14001
Machined parts with a heavy focus on automatic transmission components.
- ✓PM Day — all employees participate in planned maintenance
- ✓"Success Day" — all goals visible and celebrated
- ✓Change point management (Man / Machine / Method / Material)
- ✓M-Zero activity: zero muda, muri, mura achieved on one line in 6 months
Auto Ceilings: Just-In-Time Shipping & Mistake-Proofing
Est. 1980 · 270 employees · ¥10M capital · ISO 9001
Production and processing of automotive interior parts; developer and sales of production system programs.
- ✓Cycle time reduction and just-in-time shipping
- ✓Tightly controlled internal logistics
- ✓Zero muda, muri, mura achieved on one line in 6 months
- ✓Deliberate "Does TPS apply to us?" cultural framing
What's Included
Fee Includes
- ✓Facilitation, consulting and training
- ✓Hotels, meals and ground transportation
- ✓Guide and interpretation services
Fee Does Not Include
- ✗Travel to/from your arriving or departing location
- ✗Personal purchases
- ✗Entertainment outside the tour schedule
Price
$6,350 USD / participant
Payment Terms
- 10% deposit upon registration
- 50% deposit due 30 days before the event
- Full payment due 10 days before the event
Cancellation Policy
- Within 30 days of event: 25% of price
- Within 15 days of event: 50% of price
- Within 7 days of event: 100% of price
Payment Methods
- Bank Wire Transfer
- Credit Card — VISA, Mastercard, Amex
About Your Host
Brad Schmidt
Founder, Makoto Investments
Brad was born in Japan and speaks and writes Japanese fluently. He brings more than 20 years of experience implementing Lean across industries — from the shop floor to the executive suite — including R&D, Sales, and corporate headquarters functions.
He's been on “the other side” too, working as part of management to drive lean transformation from the inside. He understands the challenges you'll face when you get home — and he builds time into every tour to help you think through them.
Brad holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and is a certified Shingo and Training Within Industries (TWI) Trainer.
Ready to See What “Good” Looks Like?
November 15–21, 2026 · Nagoya & Tokyo
Inquire now and we'll send you a free brochure. We'll be in touch within 2 business days.
Inquire for November 2026 →