japanese problem solving skills

Saihatsu Boshi – Key to Japanese problem-solving

The Japanese are well-known to be perfectionists in various aspects of their work. Non-Japanese who work with them, either as employees or suppliers, need to be familiar with one of the key techniques they use for pursuing perfection, “ saihatsu boshi .”    

Translated literally, this means “prevention of reoccurrence.”   But the simplicity of this phrase belies the deep significance it has for many Japanese.   Of course, people everywhere can agree that making sure problems don’t happen again is a good thing.   However, the Japanese have developed a structured process for doing this.   And they often express frustration when working with people from other cultures who do not take this approach and thus run the risk of the same problems cropping up again.   In Japan, saihatsu boshi is simply accepted standard behavior, and anything else would suggest unprofessionalism or lack of commitment.   Thus, in order to optimize their relationships with Japanese, it’s useful for non-Japanese to adopt this technique.

The first step in saihatsu boshi is “ genin wo mitsukeru “, which translates as getting to the root of the problem, or discovering the root cause.   This process is what Americans might refer to as a detailed post-mortem analysis.   It involves looking at all the possible reasons why something went wrong, and identifying specifically what factors led to the failure, mistake, problem, or defect.   A vague answer like “it was human error” or “it was a random glitch” are deemed unacceptable.

In many non-Japanese cultures, this root cause analysis is difficult because individuals are not comfortable being forthright about their errors that led to a problem.   This is because in many cultures, admitting a mistake can be viewed as a weakness, be acutely embarrassing, or cause one to be the target of punishment or even dismissal.   In the Japanese environment, however, people are expected to put aside their pride in the pursuit of perfection and the common good.   The lifetime employment custom also makes it safer for people to be forthright about instances where their performance was not perfect, because they won’t fear being let go as a result.

Once the root cause has been identified, “ taisaku ” – countermeasures – need to be put in place.   This is true no matter how difficult to control or rarely-occurring a root cause might be.   For example, if you have identified your root cause as a simple mistake made by someone on the production line, your countermeasure might involve instituting double-check procedures, adding additional inspection staff at the end of the line, or altering the operator’s job so that fatigue or distractions are reduced.

As an example of the Japanese demand for countermeasures even in situations where they might seem impossible, one of my clients lost a boatload of product headed toward the U.S. when the ship carrying it hit a typhoon and sank to the bottom of the Pacific.   The company was infuriated when the shipping firm seemed unable to come up with a countermeasure.   From the shipping company’s perspective, typhoons are not something that humans can do anything about.   But from the Japanese perspective, anything can be countermeasured.   Perhaps the shipping company could build ships with thicker hulls, or buy more accurate weather forecasting equipment.   When the shipping company did not produce a countermeasure, it irreparably damaged its relationship with its Japanese client.

And here lies one of the morals of this story: in Japanese eyes, any mistake or failure is of course a huge negative.   But if you can produce a good root cause analysis and corresponding countermeasures, you can often get a second chance.   The damage from not doing this kind of saihatsu boshi can be worse than from the initial mistake or problem.   Japanese feel that although having a problem is a bad thing, letting the same problem happen again is even worse.

In this sense , saihatsu boshi is all about organizational learning – the ability for a company to absorb the lessons of its own experience.   Saihatsu boshi is a way of ensuring that individuals and the entire organization will learn from things that go wrong, and change its ways of doing things so that they will never be repeated.   The countermeasures created in the saihatsu boshi process usually consist of improvements in processes and procedures.   Thus, saihatsu boshi is really the backbone of the vaunted Japanese ability to do kaizen (continuous improvement.)

Here’s one more example of saihatsu boshi .   I was using a Japanese-owned translation company as a subcontractor.   I had asked them to prepare a translation for a client, and send it to them by Federal Express immediately before leaving on a trip to Japan.   When I returned from Japan, I called the client to discuss the document, which they were supposed to have been reviewing while I was gone, only to discover that they had never received it.   Upon investigation, it turned out that the Federal Express had been duly delivered to the company, but was misrouted by the mailroom staff and had never made it to my counterpart’s desk.   In this situation, many American suppliers would have said “it wasn’t our fault” and the case would be closed.   However, I received a phone call from the Japanese who runs the translation company, saying how he didn’t want me to have to worry about a repeat of this kind of problem.   So he would institute a new procedure: anytime they sent a Federal Express to one of my clients in the future, they would always make a follow-up call the next day to make sure that they had received it.   From my perspective, this was customer service above-and-beyond the call of duty, but when I told him so, he was surprised that I thought so.   From his point of view, implementing a countermeasure when something had gone wrong was standard operating procedure.   Imagine the consternation of a Japanese who is used to being dealt with in this way when faced with a “it’s out of our hands” kind of approach.

So, let’s say that something has gone wrong or there is some problem in the work you have been doing with Japanese.   What’s the best way to address it using the saihatsu boshi technique?   First, show your intention to do saihatsu boshi by saying something like “we want to make sure this doesn’t happen again”, “we want to prevent a reoccurrence of this problem”, or “we want to be sure to avoid this kind of problem in the future.”   Then, describe in detail the root cause or causes.   Even when dealing with someone of higher rank than you or a client, being honest about the root causes is extremely important.   This willingness to be forthright, even about your own mistakes or failures, will be valued.   Then, for each root cause, describe in detail what countermeasure or countermeasures you plan to adopt.   Finally, finish with a reaffirmation of your commitment to avoiding having this same problem happen again, and your desire for a continued good working relationship.

Other articles you may be interested in:

HORENSO – (REPORT, CONTACT AND CONSULT)

GENIN TSUIKYU – JAPANESE BUSINESS GETS TO THE ROOT OF THE MATTER

SAIHATSU BOSHI – “THOSE WHO FORGET THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT THEM”

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Introduction to KJ-Ho - a Japanese problem solving approach

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The KJ Ho (Method) is a creative thinking and problem solving methodology, which was originally invented by Japanese cultural anthropologist, Professor Jiro Kawakita (1920-2009). It has gone through over half a century’s development and refinement as a result of applications to many kinds of complex and unique problems in Japan. This article is an up-to-date presentation of the current state of the KJ Ho by those who have contributed to its recent developments and improvements.

Written by Professor Toshio Nomura, Professor Susumu Kunifuji, Dr Mikio Naganobu, Dr Susumu Maruyama & Professor Motoki Miura.

This research was in part supported by Nomi City.

The KJ Ho (Method) is a creative thinking and problem solving methodology, which was originally invented by Japanese cultural anthropologist, Professor Jiro Kawakita (1920-2009). It has gone through over half a century’s development and refinement as a result of applications to many kinds of complex and unique problems in Japan. This article is an up-to-date presentation of the current state of the KJ Ho by those who have contributed to its recent developments and improvements.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. (Charles Darwin)

This article is the first presentation of the KJ Ho (Method) in English, including some detailed explanations and examples of basic steps and recent cases. The KJ Ho is the creative thinking and problem solving methodology that was originally invented by the late Professor Jiro Kawakita (1920-2009), a well-established cultural anthropologist in Japan; hence the use of his initials KJ (Figure 1 - Prof Jiro Kawakita).

In March 2011, Tohoku, Japan experienced unprecedented, natural and artificial disasters following an earthquake and tsunami, resulting in nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima 1 nuclear power station. Since then, the majority of nuclear power stations in Japan have been shut down for thorough examinations. This has led to a comprehensive rethinking of electricity supply across the country with 30% less electricity available than before. The earthquake damaged a large number of manufacturing facilities in the Tohoku area, responsible for the production of various key manufacturing components. This has resulted in the suspension of some operations in automotive manufacturing plants globally for many months. A similar incident occurred after severe flooding hit Thailand in June 2011, affecting the global electronics industry.

The rise of emerging countries has been significantly changing the international industry landscape. This trend has dramatically changed the dynamics of global industries, which continue to grow increasingly more complex. It is clear that the world is far more connected and in flux than it was a couple of decades ago and incidents like those mentioned above can have massive global consequences. As Jiro Kawakita stated over 20 years ago, ‘the complexity of our world has far outstripped any ready-made theories or hypotheses, and a priori assumptions and wishful thinking are useless’ (Kawakita, 1991). We believe that the KJ Ho is a useful tool in dealing with a world growing increasingly complex, with its diverse and flexible approach to problem solving.

The KJ Ho has gone through over half a century’s development and refinement as the result of applications to many kinds of complex and unique problems in Japan. It has a fundamental capability of tolerating exceptional circumstances, rather than excluding them. As individuals who have contributed to the KJ Ho’s past and present developments and improvements, we feel that now is an appropriate time to present the current state of the KJ Ho, correctly and concisely.

It is important to note that in this English version of the KJ Ho article, the traditional translation of ‘Ho’ to ‘Method’ has not been used, as we felt that it lacked some of the principles and mental aspects associated with ‘KJ Ho’. For this reason, we decided to maintain the original Japanese KJ 法 (KJ Ho). We hope that this naming will settle down as de facto, as many other Japanese words have, such as Judo, Kaizen, Kansei, Karaoke, Sushi, Zen, etc.

This article is based on a seminar at the Anthropology Department of University College London and a workshop at the Creativity Centre Educational Trust (CCET) in Leeds in November 2011.

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The Methodology of Japan Math

Try, understand, apply and master .

When Japan Math’s learning methodology was created, it was designed with the values and beliefs of the Japanese educational system in mind. For us, the most important thought was the idea that through their lessons and curriculum, students should be discovering concepts and skills for themselves.

Why does Japanese education place such importance on the idea of the self-possessed student? ? This specific educational approach fosters a sense of ownership in students as they move through their learning journey. Japan Math’s program heavily emphasizes the idea of students thinking for themselves and strengthening their own problem-solving skills, rather than teachers giving students the solutions too quickly.

What other Japanese education values can you see in our curriculum? Here are just a few:

• Nurturing a sense of joy in students at the prospect of math and problem-solving to create a positive attitude toward learning.
• Encouraging the ability to think independently and outside the box.
• Strengthening problem-solving skills to the point that students can attempt more difficult problems using the skills and concepts they have previously learned.

Japan Math curriculum is designed to get your students excited about learning and problem-solving. We’re not concerned as to whether a student solves a problem correctly on their first try. Instead, our program focuses on encouraging positive attitudes while tackling new, harder problems.

The Japan Math Process

So, what is the Japan Math learning process? It’s a series of steps that your students will go through for each new concept and skill, for every unit. The steps are as follows:

Let’s take a look at each step individually.

The very first step is “Try,” where your student will be given a problem that they may not necessarily have the skills to solve yet. Even though this problem is slightly difficult, it will usually be based on real-world circumstances that are easy for your student to understand.

In this step, your student is encouraged to think back on the skills they have previously learned and see if those concepts can aid them to solve new problems. They are also asked to brainstorm and work together with their fellow classmates. We even provide them with a place to write their ideas and the ideas of their friends in their workbook! 

Check out our piece on “Try and the Role of the Teacher” for more information on “Try”

After the students have tried the new problem for the unit, the teacher will review the answers from the class, encouraging discussion of different tactics and approaches. Once this discussion is complete, it’s time for the “Understand” step.

To achieve a solid understanding of a new concept, students must reflect upon the problem-solving process of the “Try” step. This may include reviewing and discussing questions like this:

• What did the problem ask them to find?
• What were the differences between this problem and the problems they’ve worked on previously?
• What concepts or skills did they need to know to solve the problem?
• What kinds of operations were necessary or helpful to solve the problem?
• Why were those operations effective?

The teacher’s role during the “Understand” step is to encourage deeper thinking by the students as they reflect on these questions. Then, they will come together as a class and decide which concepts were most important as they solved the “Try” problem and what part of the problem required new skills.

During the “Understand” step, students will solidify their understanding of the newly introduced concepts, with guidance from their teacher. 

The ability to choose a helpful, appropriate method for solving a problem, and to be able to execute this with speed and accuracy, are important skills in mathematics. After gaining a thorough understanding of a new concept, the next step in Japan Math’s process, students proceed to “Apply” to refine these skills.

In the “Apply” step, there are several different configurations of problems where students can use the knowledge learned in the “Understand” step. These include problems similar to those seen in the “Try” step, helping students understand that the same concepts and operations can be applied even if the problems seem different. Solving these problems improve students’ speed, accuracy, and confidence.

Sometimes, students get stuck on a particular problem. That’s okay! When this happens, it’s important to take a step back and review the foundation of the new concept. If they’re still stuck, they can return to previous pages in their workbooks to look for clues, to show students that they can apply previously acquired knowledge to almost every problem. They’ll also be able to learn that when they are having trouble with a particular problem, the key to the answer can be found by returning to the basics of their newly-learned concept.

Ideally, once a student has a firm grasp on the new concept, every problem in the “Apply” step will be solved by each student alone, without the help of their teacher or their fellow students. Once this is completed, your students have reached the final and most exciting step of the Japan Math process - “Master!” This should be celebrated before moving on to the next unit, in order to continue fostering a joy for learning and a passion for problem-solving.

The Complete Process

This process will be repeated for each lesson, allowing your students to progressively build on the concepts and skills they learned previously, while still tackling new problems with the help of their problem-solving skills and their classmates. By completing these steps in each unit, the curriculum helps your students develop an internal process for problem-solving that will be a foundation for all future mathematic endeavors. 

If you’re interested in adding the Japan Math curriculum, contact us here to request a free sample.

Lesson Study and Teaching Mathematics Through Problem Solving: The Two Wheels of a Cart

• First Online: 24 March 2018

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Part of the book series: ICME-13 Monographs ((ICME13Mo))

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The international education community has taken an interest in lesson study, the Japanese approach to school education. Lesson study first came to the attention of educators outside of Japan primarily through the publication of The Teaching Gap (Stigler and Hiebert in The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world’s teachers for improving education in the classroom. The Free Press, New York, 1999 ) and the TIMSS video study, which showed the typical structure of Japanese mathematics instruction in the classroom. However, while there has been tremendous international interest in using lesson study as a model for professional development, there has been less of a focus on applying the method of Japanese mathematics instruction, which is teaching mathematics through problem solving. This paper discusses the interplay between lesson study and teaching mathematics through problem solving and outlines suggestions for educators seeking to improve both teaching and lesson study outside Japan.

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Toshiakira Fujii

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Marisa Quaresma

Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Carl Winsløw

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João Pedro da Ponte

School of Mathematics & Statistics, College of Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin

Teacher Education, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Akihiko Takahashi

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Fujii, T. (2018). Lesson Study and Teaching Mathematics Through Problem Solving: The Two Wheels of a Cart. In: Quaresma, M., Winsløw, C., Clivaz, S., da Ponte, J., Ní Shúilleabháin, A., Takahashi, A. (eds) Mathematics Lesson Study Around the World. ICME-13 Monographs. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75696-7_1

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Problem Solving 101: A Simple Book for Smart People Hardcover – March 5, 2009

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• Print length 128 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Portfolio
• Publication date March 5, 2009
• Dimensions 5.6 x 0.68 x 8.5 inches
• ISBN-10 9781591842422
• ISBN-13 978-1591842422
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1591842425
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio; 1st edition (March 5, 2009)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781591842422
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591842422
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.68 x 8.5 inches
• #250 in Business Decision Making
• #451 in Decision-Making & Problem Solving
• #467 in Cognitive Psychology (Books)

About the author

Ken watanabe.

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Customers find the book easy to read and understand. They describe it as interesting, helpful, and resourceful. Readers say it's good for both youngsters and adults. They also find the insights profound and the book fun to read.

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Customers find the book easy to read and understand. They say it breaks it down to the very basics and provides funny examples. Readers also mention the book succinctly summarizes key analysis tools used by leading consulting firms. They also say the lessons are wrapped in large examples that are simple enough to follow along with.

"...16. Problem solving is easy when you now how to set a clear goal, figure out how to reach it, and follow through while reviewing your progress and..." Read more

"...Trees that other books have failed at explaining and made it very easy to understand with simple language and simple diagrams without belaboring...." Read more

"...It is easy to read and does a good job giving simple examples...yet has a profound underpinnings, which if used, helps people solve problems...from..." Read more

"... Not a difficult read , yet bursting with good advice.Watanabe lays out numerous simple strategies you can use to solve problems...." Read more

Customers find the book interesting, helpful, and resourceful. They say it's a quick read and a good refresher. Readers also mention the author did a great job keeping their interest.

" Such a great book ...." Read more

" Awesome book that I read twice in two languages with the time difference in almost 10 years...." Read more

"...If you can get past that, it's a great book . I keep it at my desk at work, and have reread different sections multiple times...." Read more

" Very clever little book ...." Read more

Customers find the book good for either youngsters or adults. They say it's excellent for introducing children to powerful methods and rules of problem solving. Readers also mention it'll be helpful for older folk and a good foundation to build more complicated skills on.

"...I highly recommend this book for children, and it may be helpful for older folk . It is certainly entertaining to read, while being informative." Read more

"...2. Creative ways to achieve a goal Example, how can I lose weight? How can I get money to travel ?..." Read more

" Handy book for kids and adults to learn tools for problem solving.Is very easy to read and understand for all ages...." Read more

"...some i didn't - this is especially great for kids but also works well within adults that maybe forgot or never knew how to sold problems the right..." Read more

Customers find the book insightful, interesting, and great for opening their brains to new situations. They say it has profound underpinnings and is an excellent critical thinking textbook with an emphasis on the practical. Readers also mention the book uses engaging and authentic scenarios that help them revisit the book to refer any lessons they find useful.

"...to read and does a good job giving simple examples...yet has a profound underpinnings , which if used, helps people solve problems...from the simple..." Read more

"...It also helps readers to revisit the book to refer any lesson they find useful in their real life problems...." Read more

"...The primary value of the book is that it deals with practical critical thinking (that is, problem solving) as opposed to information-analysis..." Read more

"...This is highly simple and insightful !" Read more

Customers find the book fun and engaging. They say it makes any problem seem fun and makes them think if they can master problem-solving.

"...It is certainly entertaining to read , while being informative." Read more

"...The examples are written using kid stories, which makes it fun , and provide the tools to start making problem solving an everyday behavior in..." Read more

"...The book breaks it down to the very basics and was also a lot of fun to read , so I definitely recommend it." Read more

" makes any problem seem fun , and makes you think if you can master problem solving at a small scale, what's possible for you and others at a larger..." Read more

Customers find the story profound yet concise.

"This is a short book that you can , even with note-taking, read within a couple hours...." Read more

"A nice, short read ...." Read more

"...This book was very short and distilled, which I liked because other longer books on this subject just end up to be repetitive...." Read more

"I had to purchase this book for a college course. It's a short and easy read that really helps to layout the problem solving process...." Read more

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Japanese Multidimensional Problem Solving

In the West, the standard approach for problem solving is to take a good look a the problem, after which a solution approach will pop into someone’s head. This approach is then optimized until the problem is solved. However, while this often ends up with one solution, it usually is far from the best solution possible. In Japan, a very different multidimensional problem-solving approach is common. Rather than just use any solution that solves the problem, they aim for the best solution they can find.

There are a number of well-known Japanese problem-solving techniques for managing issues and finding their root cause. This post will focus on the multidimensional decision used to find a solution, which is surprisingly simple and highly successful but still mysterious to many westerners.

Problem-Solving Environment

Let’s first review a few of the well-known methods in the Japanese problem-solving toolbox:

Problem Solving Overview: A3

The A3 is named after an A3 sheet of paper, since the goal is to fit all information related to the problem solving on one sheet of paper. Ideally, the sheet should be a working document and hence handwritten, but in the West a computer document is often preferred. There is no fixed list of points that go on the A3, but it usually includes:

• A description of the problem
• The current state
• The goal of the problem solving
• A root cause analysis
• A progress status
• Confirmation of problem solution
• Organizational information like responsible parties, date, approval, etc.

Root Cause: 5 Whys

The 5 Whys method is based on Taiichi Ohno’s approach, at Toyota, of asking “Why?” five times in a row. The goal is not to accept the first answer but rather to dig deeper  to fully understand the root cause of the problem.

Root Cause: Fishbone Diagram

Finally, there is the Fishbone Diagram ,  also known as the herring-bone diagram or cause-and-effect diagram . If you want to sound fancy, you could also say Ishikawa Diagram . Few people will understand, but it makes you look impressive. The aim is to address the problem from multiple different directions, graphically represented by a fishbone. The head is the problem, and the bones are the individual possible causes that are analyzed. The causes can be specific to the particular problem, but in industry, the following are also common:

• Measurement
• Mother Nature

As said above, in the Western world one problem solution is selected and then optimized until it solves the problem. However, in Japan, an approach with a multitude of different solutions is common. Especially for complex problems, this multidimensional approach yields much better results than a Western uni-dimensional way.

Let’s take, for example, the development of the Toyota Prius hybrid gasoline–electric vehicle. The goal of Toyota was to develop a new highly environmentally friendly vehicle. Western car makers had long ago decided to pursue the hydrogen fuel cell as the basis for such vehicles, and spent many years in vain trying to get those vehicles functioning well even as prototypes.

Toyota, on the other hand, did not decide what type of vehicle they wanted upfront. Rather, under the leadership of Takehisa Yaegashi, they evaluated different design possibilities. In their first round, they looked at a whopping eighty different possibilities to power the car, including electric, gasoline–electric hybrid, diesel–electric hybrid, high-efficiency diesel engines, high-efficiency gasoline engines, liquid hydrogen fuel cells, gaseous hydrogen fuel cells, and many more.

They evaluated each one to some extent before they selected around thirty design options that had more potential. These thirty designs then went into the next round, with more detailed analysis, simulations, and evaluations, and were narrowed down to the ten designs that went into the last round. Those ten designs were each looked at in even more detail with even more analyses, and then the gasoline–electric hybrid emerged as the winner and the power system for the Prius model.

The resulting product was a wild success for Toyota. While other well-established car companies with years of fuel-cell research initially laughed at the weird concept, they didn’t laugh for long. The Prius became a bestseller, within two years even a profitable bestseller, and it gave a huge boost to Toyota’s image as advanced and eco-friendly. Other car makers then scrambled to copy the success, but they are still one to two years behind Toyota with their vehicles.

Do I have to come up with eighty different solutions for all my problems now?

Of course, the size of the solution space and the effort put into has to be in reason with the size of the problem. The development of a new car costs between one and six billion dollars (that’s right, billion, not million). Hence, before investing enough money to buy a small country, it is well worth it to evaluate all options before placing your bet.

On the other hand, if your problem is smaller, you may work with fewer design evaluations. One problem where I have repeatedly used this approach with much success is organizing the layout of a plant or a plant section. Rather than moving all hardware around on a floor plan until it fits, I prefer to create different plans instead.

Using a  multi-functional team with members from management, operations, planning, and production, I create multiple solutions. If the team is large enough, I even split them into groups of three to four people (a great size for teamwork) and have them create designs independently . Hence, I end up with two or thee designs in the first round. I intentionally keep the members on a very tight schedule, since at this stage I want only a rough sketch rather than a detailed and installation-ready plan. Thirty to sixty minutes is plenty for this purpose.

Next, we compare the designs, pushing people along the learning curve for this particular layout problem. Afterward the teams are mixed and given certain requirements for the second round. In my experience, after two rounds with four to six different designs, the teams have explored the possible design space much better than they possibly could have with a single design.

As a next step, we could either select the winner (inevitably one of the designs from the last row), or—my preference—have all team members come together and build the best design based on the four to six designs we have so far. Overall, with less than ten people and less than one workshop day, we create a new shop floor layout that everybody feels good with and that incorporates the best ideas out of multiple designs.

I have personally used this multidimensional approach to problem solving successfully for many different problems, including shop floor layout, part design, information flow design, efficiency improvements, and many more. This approach has never failed me.

I sincerely hope that this method will also help you with your daily work, and I wish you much success. Now, go out and improve your Industry.

6 thoughts on “Japanese Multidimensional Problem Solving”

This post very succinctly goes beyond the machine-like application of “success” tools and shows that it all depends on working together.

“succinctly” … such a beautiful word 🙂

Thanks for the praise!

Great effort and innovative techniques !! Welldone dear.

Great and insightful

Innovative techniques and just class

Easy solution techichque and just class

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10 Japanese Puzzles to Train Your Brain

• Post published: 16/01/2018
• Post category: Japanese Culture

Few pastimes sharpen the mind like a good puzzle, and few countries craft puzzles like Japan. Over the centuries, Japan has mastered the art of piecing together entertaining puzzles in deceptively simple designs. Whether you desire to hone your problem-solving skills or seek a challenge to test your intelligence, check out our list of 10 Japanese puzzles that will have you scratching your head for hours of frustrating fun!

Japanese Wood Puzzles

Traditional yosegi puzzle box.

For over a century and a half, traditional Yosegi Puzzle Boxes have riddled the minds and captured the hearts of their perplexed owners. Yet today, only a small number of third-generation Japanese craftsmen are still proficient in mastering the kaleidoscopic marquetry and complex hidden joinery these mysterious novelty boxes are famous for. How do you solve this deceivingly simple puzzle and reveal whatever treasure may lie hidden within? By sliding and shifting each side’s seamless panels in a precise series of up to 125 sequential steps.

Search for Traditional Yosegi Puzzle Box

Ki-Gu-Mi Wooden Puzzle Art

Available in more models than you can shake a stick at, Ki-Gu-Mi’s series of Wooden Puzzle Art is not only beautiful to display, but quite often functional as well. Each kid-friendly puzzle comes flat-packed in plywood sheets for easy shipping; simply punch out the pre-cut pieces and connect them together—no glue required. From a violin that doubles as a stand for smartphones to Ferris wheel and merry-go-round music boxes, there’s a world of wooden wonder just waiting to be brought to life, piece by piece.

Search for Ki-Gu-Mi Wooden Puzzle Art

Japanese Metal Puzzles

Hanayama huzzle metal puzzles.

These palm-size Hanayama Huzzle Metal Puzzles feature over 70 interlocking designs that look all too easy at first glance. As beautifully crafted as they are cognitively complex, each brain-bender is ranked according to one of six difficulty levels that may stump even the most seasoned puzzle solver.

Search for Hanayama Huzzle Metal Puzzles

Tenyo Metallic 3-D Puzzles

With dozens of detailed sculptures and character collaborations to choose from—including traditional Japanese landmarks, vehicles, animals, and famous fandom icons— Tenyo’s Metallic 3-D Models are a steal for teens and adults with a penchant for puzzles. Each miniature comes packaged with laser-cut parts that can easily be punched out from metal sheets and folded together with your fingers or a pair of tweezers.

Search for Tenyo Metallic 3-D Puzzles

Japanese Combination Puzzles

Meiji chocolate puzzles.

Problem-solvers with a sweet tooth will want to sink their teeth into these Meiji Chocolate Puzzles (not made with actual chocolate, of course). Broken into Tetris-like shapes that can be reassembled in many unique ways (easy white chocolate with 7,764 solutions; intermediate black chocolate with one not-so-easy solution; difficult milk chocolate with 2,339 solutions), these chocolate bar puzzles let you chew over the easiest way to get every piece back into the rectangular frame. And if your mouth is left watering for more, give the bonus challenges displayed on the back of the box a taste test!

Search for Meiji Chocolate Puzzles

Neko Nabe Cat Puzzle

In 2014, the “neko nabe” (or “napping cat in a pot”) craze went viral on Japanese social media. Many feline-flavored memes have since taken its place, but the release of the  Neko Nabe Cat Puzzle makes certain this one internet trend will always be cooked to purr- fection. Available in tabby, black, and calico kitties, this game challenges players to fit the entire litter into the pot for a kawaii catnap while still being able to close the lid.

Search for Neko Nabe Cat Puzzle

MegaHouse Star Wars 3-D Rubik’s Cube

These Japan-exclusive Star Wars 3-D Rubik’s Cubes are the droids you’re looking for! Manufactured by Megahouse under the Rubik’s Cube family of combination puzzles, BB-8 and R2-D2 are the perfect pastime for Jedi of all ranks. Swivel, twist, and line up the movable parts of your favorite astromechs for hours of intense mind-training exercise. Then, display these Lucasfilm-licensed creations on your desk or shelf as proof that you’ve mastered the ways of the Force.

Search for MegaHouse Star Wars 3-D Rubik’s Cube

More Japanese 3-D Model Puzzles

Beverly crystal puzzles.

If you’re a puzzle master ready to take your skills to the next dimension, Beverly’s Crystal Puzzles will not only give your brain a workout with over 60 designs, but also will reward you with a transparent 3-D figurine for all your hard-earned effort. Interlock all of the dazzling PVC pieces to crystallize Pikachu, Disney princesses, wild animals, floral arrangements, majestic castles, and more, and make your magnum opus shimmer and shine with a Beverly gradient-colored LED base .

Search for Beverly Crystal Puzzles

Aoshima 4-D Vision Puzzle Series

Whether you have an affinity for anatomy or a desire to dissect, Aoshima’s 4-D Vision Puzzle Series provides a hands-on hobby for studying animals, body systems, and even extinct dinosaurs. Make no bones about it—these biological puzzles are as informative as they are fun to build.

Search for Aoshima 4-D Vision Puzzle Series

Yakiniku Puzzle

The next time you’re craving Japanese barbecue, break out this Yakiniku Puzzle to appreciate the biology behind all those juicy cuts of meat. Not only are there 37 pieces to put together, but most are temperature sensitive, letting you “cook” your steak to a savory brown color with the touch of a finger. This cute rubber cow—complete with an adorable gyutan tongue—is the perfect gift for epicurean enthusiasts, and an ideal time sink for long restaurant waits.

Search for Yakiniku Puzzle

The Best Place to Find Japanese Brain Puzzles

You don’t have to rack your brain to get your hands on these mind-bendingly fun Japanese puzzles . With FROM JAPAN, you can easily browse listings from the country’s biggest online shops and auction sites and have hard-to-find Japanese products shipped right to your door!

And if you’re looking for more toys and puzzles that are fun for all ages, be sure to branch out with our list of wooden toys that can help your child’s imagination take root .

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Characteristics of Japanese mathematics lessons

2009, Colección Digital Eudoxus

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Survey ranks Japanese children's problem-solving skills near world-best

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46 Comments Login to comment

Disillusioned Nov. 22, 2017 07:08 am JST

So, Japanese kids perform well in a test. They should perform well considering they do more tests than most other countries. Mind you, these are middle school kids. I'm sure their problem solving skills will be replaced with memorising skills by the time they graduate senior high.

thepersoniamnow Nov. 22, 2017 07:11 am JST

They scored highest in working as a group. This I believe.

Yubaru Nov. 22, 2017 07:39 am JST

In analyzing the result, an official from Japan's National Institute for Educational Policy Research said Japanese people's tendency to work harmoniously in teams may have influenced the students' performance.

Solving problems is one thing, it's putting the results into action that is something TOTALLY different in the workplace.

Oh and Japanese students prepare for tests like crazy, and often times when standardized tests are scheduled, often times those students who do not typically perform well will be absent from school.

Of course the results are good, there is no way they would report about a test they did badly on now would they?

macv Nov. 22, 2017 08:22 am JST

Japanese work well with their compatriots but not nearly as well with non-Japanese team members.

Yumster100 Nov. 22, 2017 08:26 am JST

So, Japanese kids perform well in a test. They should perform well considering they do more tests than most other countries. Mind you, these are middle school kids.

The survey conducted 15 year-old students which they should normally be in high school. Perhaps you were still in middle school but I doubt the usual 15 year-old kids would be in high school.

Yumster100 Nov. 22, 2017 08:28 am JST

*the usual 15 year-old kid would be in middle school.

since1981 Nov. 22, 2017 08:35 am JST

Maybe so on tests but what about in real daily life situations?

GW Nov. 22, 2017 08:42 am JST

Anyone know WHAT kind of problems were to be solved?

thepersoniamnow Nov. 22, 2017 08:44 am JST

Agree with Yubaru about practical knowledge.

I find young kidz here to be quite enthusiastic about studying and they form hard working habits young and it’s impressive. They are also very good at calculating in their head and doing homework.

However I am not impressed when I come to Japan by the conversations I end up having with a lot of young people.

They seem very immature, naive, and unmotivated.

puregaijin Nov. 22, 2017 08:45 am JST

Can these kids be sent to replace a few of my colleagues, pleeeeeeease????

Franz Pichler Nov. 22, 2017 08:51 am JST

lol now that was so as expected: Japanese kids are world class and the Japan-bashers find only negative things to say, you're so pathetic, they're number one because they work very very hard, that's a fact!

dcog9065 Nov. 22, 2017 09:01 am JST

This makes sense, high school kids back in Sydney seem barely able to function by themselves, let alone collaborate in a group to solve problems. Very good result by Japan

kawabegawa198 Nov. 22, 2017 09:10 am JST

Working in a group doesn't really happen though in Japan. It may look this way to an outsider. What is actually happening is that, sure, a certain amount of group discussion takes place, then the most senior person (purely by age) in the group decides the outcome and all the others agree and do what he (not she) wants!

garypen Nov. 22, 2017 09:30 am JST

So...scratching your head and breathing in through your teeth is a problem-solving skill? Cool.

borscht Nov. 22, 2017 09:38 am JST

Franz, yes, good on the kids for doing well.

If junior high kids are so good at solving problems in a group, what happens to them by the time they are company employees? Solving problems seems to be alien to most employees. Look at Toshiba, Takata, Nissan: employees just doing what they are told to do.

Ricky Kaminski Nov. 22, 2017 10:08 am JST

Makes you wonder why this doesn't follow through to adult life. Real social challenges and problems are largely ignored or put in the "muzukashii" basket. How does this shift happen?

Derek Grebe Nov. 22, 2017 10:16 am JST

I have seen these exemplary team problem-solving skills at work in my office. What usually happens when a member of the team has a conundrum, a group of people gradually accumulates around her and mutters “Eh? Eh? Do shiou?” repeatedly.

Moderator Nov. 22, 2017 10:33 am JST

Moderator: Readers, the story refers to children. Please stay on topic.

noriyosan73 Nov. 22, 2017 10:31 am JST

Problem solving strategies is not putting 8 jr high or high school students together and asking them to solve a problem. The motivated students accept the challenge and go for it while the lazy students sit and wait for the answer. What is the teacher doing - taking a break. If every student were given a problem and the others at the table evaluated it, perhaps something could be learned.

smithinjapan Nov. 22, 2017 12:50 pm JST

The key part of this study is that it focused on kids working in GROUPS. Now, that is wonderful and of course group work is necessary in many facets of life, but I daresay if it were a study of problem solving as individuals Japan would finish dead last. Don't get me wrong -- that's not a comment on intelligence, it's just the way much of society is. The kids need to be told what to do or assigned something, and THEN they can get to work on it so long as they have set parameters and guidelines. Even in groups often one person will be designated Hanchou and then they get to work.

tmarie Nov. 22, 2017 01:21 pm JST

Not really much to the article considering it doesn't tells us about the problems they were asked to solve. I think Japanese kids are great at solving certain types of problems. Certainly not the best in solving others. Without knowing the kinds of questions they were asked, hard to form an sort of opinion of the article itself or the results.

kohakuebisu Nov. 22, 2017 01:33 pm JST

Well done kids! This isn't a Japanese test, so I'll assume its reasonably objective and more meaningful than something Monbusho would have come up with for some self-congratulation.

Japanese education gets a lot wrong, English lessons in particular, but it does get some things right. My parents live very close to the schools I went to in the UK. Its logjam around them now in the morning with cars dropping kids off and, shocking to me, 17 year olds driving to school. Gardens in our street feature litter thrown away by kids at lunchtime. A noticeable number of the kids look overweight.

Alexandre T. Ishii Nov. 22, 2017 01:38 pm JST

I hope Japan will change to better perspectives, just to say the problems of workers lack in skills and many recently issues coming down in big companies and affiliates. One of the better way to consist the skills for new generations is to government build up training places and adopt skilled aged ex-workers(pensioned people) to advice and instruct them. Another point is what smithjapan (the comment as above) to have instructors of fast-resolutions to any issues. It can be instructors from many other nationalities to make decisions faster, what is still in these days, directors/ managers spending so many hours in conferences and not resulting well to resolutions.

wtfjapan Nov. 22, 2017 02:25 pm JST

good at problem solving while a teenager? yet in the world creativity rankings Japan doesnt even make the top 25, so something clearly goes wrong between HS and adult working life. http://martinprosperity.org/media/Global-Creativity-Index-2015.pdf

wtfjapan Nov. 22, 2017 02:33 pm JST

for all of Japans supposed problem solving skills they still haven't figured out how to break 25+ yrs of economic stagnation!?

viking68 Nov. 22, 2017 03:12 pm JST

The countries at the top of the list are those with kids who go through the wringer studying.

Still, it is nice to see Japanese children beating Singaporean children, who are typically at the top of test results.

Rik314 Nov. 22, 2017 03:23 pm JST

Results are not surprising, placing countries/cultures with strong collectivist values at the top. I'd like to know how 'working well in a group' was defined, and on what kinds of 'problem'. Some problems are best solved by individuals, and with a lot of other factor throw in. Anyhow, as with any testing, cultural variations have a say.

simon g Nov. 22, 2017 04:29 pm JST

So much negativity on this thread. This is great news for Japan and shows the value of co-operation. Yes it's a rather contrived test in some ways but some posters here need to give credit where it's due.

albaleo Nov. 22, 2017 05:01 pm JST

It seems it involved interactive questions. Some example questions can be found at the link below:

http://www.oecd.org/pisa/test/

Some other interesting results:

girls performed better than boys in almost all countries (e.g. Canadian girls performed better than Japanese boys) Although oddly, boys value teamwork more than girls.

Other links here:

http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-volume-v-9789264285521-en.htm

Kazuaki Shimazaki Nov. 22, 2017 05:10 pm JST

The negative comments are amazing. If they do well, the result is discounted and bashing starts. If they do poorly, the bashing just starts.

Can Japan win in a JapanToday comment section?

albaleo Nov. 22, 2017 05:22 pm JST

The negative comments are amazing.

Perhaps made by those who don't get on so well with others. :-)

Working in a group doesn't  really  happen though in Japan.

I wonder what kind of experiences that is based on. Perhaps that's the image given when entering a bank or a fast food restaurant. But in the R&D departments around the country where all that tech is developed, my experiences have been quite different. Faced with tasks such as reducing the weight of a TV or making glass production more energy efficient, the teamwork (and the humor) shines through.

gokai_wo_maneku Nov. 22, 2017 06:47 pm JST

So many complaints about the Japanese education system. And yet tiny Japan is the third largest economy in the world, with a long recort of technical innovation and cultural influence. We must be doing something right. And yes, group work was a big thing when I was in school during the 80s and 90s.

daito_hak Nov. 22, 2017 07:50 pm JST

long recort of technical innovation and cultural influence

Japan never had a strength in technical innovation as it has done very poorly at inventing new trends, technologies and products. You can also see it on how archaic and backward thinking the Japanese society tends to be. Its cultural influence has never been strong either besides maybe mangas despite the fact and I am sorry to say this, that they are mostly a sub-culture for people who are not really interested in more challenging reading content. 

Concerning the largest economy thing, it’s again a disputable argument. It’s true in absolute GDP but the GDP (PPP) per capita shows a much less positive picture.

Now concerning this kind of rankings, I call them flawed because they do not reflect a real picture and people often wrongly interpret them as being a description of how well an education system is and thereafter how well people will perform in society. I have been long enough in Japan and spent 15 years in a science department in a big public university to know that the same people who are named in this kind of ranking good at problem solving (collaboratively or not) are in fact very poor at reasoning by themselves, at raising questions, at having a critical point of view and at thinking outside of the box. They are terrible at all of that and I remember being literally depressed to see such lack of proper training on how they should think and use their brains to solve real world science problems.

The result of that on Japan’s productivity is quite clear since Japan has been the less productive country amoung the most industrialized ones for decades, indeed a long time prevailing situation. If japan education would really create people with strong collaboratively solving skills as this ranking is trying to show, Japan would not have such a low productivity.

http://time.com/4621185/worker-productivity-countries/

Moreover no one can say with a straight face that Japanese companies which often claim to be the pinnacle in the Japanese group (collaborative) mentality are leading the world in innovation. Quite the opposite.

https://www.fastcompany.com/3067756/announcing-the-2017-worlds-50-most-innovative-companies

albaleo Nov. 22, 2017 08:29 pm JST

And yet tiny Japan is the third largest economy in the world

Tiny? Let's not get too silly. 11th largest by population. 60th by land area. 8th largest by size of Exclusive Economic Zone. 5th largest by length of coastline.

So the third largest economy for a relatively large nation. But only 20th by GDP per capita.

Tamarama Nov. 22, 2017 09:23 pm JST

The results don't lie, do they.

Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea at the top, and in fact Singapore and Japan noticeably better. I reckon there is a bit of latent racism at play in this thread, pooh-poohing their results, but clearly Japanese kids are very good collaborative problem solvers - far better than; Canadian kiddies (5th), Australian kiddies (10th), US (13th), British (15th).

I don't find this all that surprising.

All bow down and pay homage to the superior collaborative problem solving of the Japanese kiddies.

They are better than you.

puregaijin Nov. 22, 2017 09:40 pm JST

I reckon there is a bit of latent racism at play in this thread, pooh-poohing their results, but clearly Japanese kids are very good collaborative problem solvers

There there, Poirot. It clearly isn’t racism or the latent version of it for that matter. Most of posters have agreed and indeed appreciated the kids’ abilities. It’s somewhere after that they lose the way and that, I fully agree with. I’ve even in my earlier post, wish these kids could replace some of my local workmates. All would appreciate the amount of hard work put in by these kids day after day. This had no racist angle to begin with, in general!!!!!

David Varnes Nov. 22, 2017 09:48 pm JST

It seems it involved interactive questions. Some example questions can be found at the link below: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/test/ Some other interesting results: girls performed better than boys in almost all countries (e.g. Canadian girls performed better than Japanese boys) Although oddly, boys value teamwork more than girls. Students who play video games outside of school score slightly lower in collaborative problem solving than students who do not play video games  Other links here: http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-volume-v-9789264285521-en.htm If that is the type of question that this survey measures, then I can see both why the Japanese students did well, and also why there's a lot of shade thrown on this news story.

The sample questions didn't really involve 'problem solving,' in the traditional sense, but more 'find the answer' questions. There was little to no unique processing or creative interpretation of said factual data to create an actual solution to a 'problem.'

albaleo Nov. 22, 2017 10:01 pm JST

The sample questions didn't really involve 'problem solving,' in the traditional sense, but more 'find the answer' questions.

I agree. It wasn't really what I was expecting.

SaikoPhysco Nov. 22, 2017 11:18 pm JST

This is good people.... OK, so lets start putting these kid's talents to work. Problem number 1. What to do about the decline in Japan's population? Problem 2. How to make Japan more competitive in Business? Problem 3. How should Japan deal with N. Korea? Problem 4. How to stop Japan's budget deficits and pay down its massive debt? Problem 5. How to decrease the increasingly disaffected population? The list goes on... what else should we have these amazing Japanese kid groups try to tackle?

gokai_wo_maneku Nov. 22, 2017 11:47 pm JST

@daito-hak I actually work in technology. Japanese inventors and their companies have the highest rate of foreign patent applications and grants in the USA. That says something. I know China is quickly catching up.

wtfjapan Nov. 23, 2017 04:42 am JST

Can Japan win in a JapanToday comment section? probably not often considering many of the people on here are stuck in this bleak economy, stagnant wages, increasing taxes, reduced benefits while the population & birthrate shrinks and the elderly population increase. Yet all these so-called problem solving skills of Japanese cant seem to fix these ingrained problems that continue to suck the life from Japan and its people. Seems in many countries the cultural mindset must be maintained no matter what the costs.

wtfjapan Nov. 23, 2017 05:00 am JST

and yet those same countries that have these so called superior collaborative problem solving skills have accounted for very few of the innovative ideas that have changed societies and the world over the last 200+yrs. vast majority of scientific, medical and engineering advancements have predominately come from UK , Europe, USA. without innovation your really just solving the same repetitive problems that computers do today. oh that reminds me first mechanical computer invented by an Englishman first digital computer by an American .

dcog9065 Nov. 24, 2017 09:54 am JST

East Asians so completely dominate world education rankings in all fields, it appears simply that they are just smarter.

There will always be the bitter butthurts who will "but-but-but creativity! and critical thinking!" - Yeah right, creativity in the UK gave us Brexit and critical thinking in America gave us Trump. If that is the epitome of their education systems, then I think we hilariously have a nice clear picture of where their quality lies

Strangerland Nov. 26, 2017 10:56 am JST

Technical innovation in designing hardware, yes, but I find software design rather cumbersome.

I have to agree. Japanese software rarely has good UX. The majority of software I work with does not look so nice, and often has confusing organization.

But Japanese hardware is usually very nice.

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10 Proven Japanese Work Culture Practices for Organizations

8 mins read

by Pete Ford

Updated On Sep 18, 2024

Businesses worldwide have referred to Japanese work culture to understand why companies in Japan perform so well.

Known for its unique blend of tradition and innovation, Japanese workplace practices offer valuable insights for organizations seeking to improve productivity, employee engagement, and overall success. 

This article will explore ten lessons from Japan's work culture that can benefit organizations globally.

1. Kaizen: Continuous Improvement

At the heart of Japanese work culture lies the concept of Kaizen. Kaizen when loosely translated, means to "change for the better" or as commonly said, "continuous improvement."

It is a simple philosophy that encourages employees and workers at all levels of a business ladder to constantly seek ways to enhance their work processes, no matter how small the improvement may be.

Via Edstellar

Lesson: Any organization that seeks improved productivity should implement a culture of continuous improvement. They can do this by encouraging employees to suggest and implement small, incremental changes in their daily work routines. 

This can also be further enhanced with a promise for long-term contracts that eliminate the fear of job loss for any productive employee.

Case Study: The Toyota's Way

Toyota’s Port Installed Options Center (PIOC) in Saudi Arabia faced several significant challenges, as detailed in a case study conducted by Hassan Abdulmouti . The center had too many installers (349), which was inefficient. Their annual production output was lower than desired, at 188,000 vehicles. Employee engagement was low, as shown by the Associates Engagement Index (Q12). There were also inefficiencies in inventory management, leading to higher costs and delays.

A significant number of vehicles (480) were damaged during the process, causing extra costs and delays. Additionally, there was a need to avoid extra investments in new facilities and manpower. These issues collectively hindered the center’s overall efficiency and productivity.

To address these issues, Toyota implemented the Kaizen philosophy, focusing on continuous improvement through small, incremental changes. As a result, Toyota achieved significant improvements: manpower was reduced by 27%, annual output increased by 13%, and the Associates Engagement Index improved by 65%.

Inventory management was optimized through Kanban and just-in-time production, reducing vehicle damage by 76% and saving $3.33 million in costs. This case study demonstrates the effectiveness of Kaizen principles in enhancing productivity, efficiency, and employee engagement.

2. Nemawashi: Building Consensus

Before making any formal proposal, you should try and build consensus among the involved parties. You can do this by laying proper groundwork, and quietly seeking support from all stakeholders. This is the principle of Nemawashi, a practice that is commonplace in Japan’s work culture.

By applying Nemawashi principles, you easily avoid conflicts and hasten the process of successful implementation of new initiatives.

Companies that practice this principle experience less project delay than those that don’t apply it. They also get a higher success rate when implementing new organizational changes than those who do not apply the same principles.

In Japan, it is almost a norm to see organizations valuing teamwork and consensus building. Most decision-making processes will deliberately involve all stakeholders, with extensive discussions way before they even try to implement the ideas at hand.

Even though this approach is time-consuming, it helps get all involved parties into an agreement while also building a sense of unity and ownership among employees.

This concept is well-demonstrated by Alan Briskin, et al, in The Power of Collective Wisdom .

Lesson: Before introducing major changes or new projects, organizations should engage in informal discussions with key stakeholders to gather input and build support. This saves time and builds consensus.

Case Study: Using ‘Nemawashi’ for Better Decisions and Resource Allocation

Nikka Ko and Naoshi Uchihira conducted a case study on Company A (heavy electrical equipment business, IoT solutions business). This large Japanese firm faced challenges in complex decision-making, resource allocation, and employee engagement. To address these, they employed “Nemawashi,” a traditional Japanese practice involving informal discussions and consensus-building before formal decisions.

This process included one-on-one meetings and small group discussions to gather feedback and build support for new initiatives. By involving key stakeholders early, Company A ensured that proposals were well-aligned with the company’s goals and values, leading to more efficient decision-making and resource utilization.

The implementation of “Nemawashi” resulted in significant improvements for Company A. Decisions were made more efficiently, with fewer delays and greater consensus among stakeholders. Resource allocation became more effective, aligning better with strategic goals, and employee engagement increased as they felt more involved in the decision-making process. Overall, “Nemawashi” fostered a collaborative environment, leading to smoother project implementation and better outcomes for the company.

3. Hourensou: Effective Communication

Hourensou is an acronym for three essential elements of workplace communication in Japan: Houkoku (reporting), Renraku (informing), and Soudan (consulting.)

This is a system that emphasizes transparency and regular communication among team members in an organization. It underlines the need for superiors and subordinates in an organization to stay in constant communication for a smooth flow of information.

Lesson: As an organization, you should implement a structured communication system that encourages regular reporting, information sharing, and consultation among team members. This makes everyone in your organization feel heard and involved.

4. Omotenashi: Customer-Centric Approach

Omotenashi refers to the Japanese concept of hospitality. This is a concept that goes beyond mere customer service. It goes further to anticipate and fulfill customer needs before they are expressed. This mindset is deeply ingrained in Japanese business culture.

Lesson: As an organization, you should train your employees to anticipate customer needs and provide exceptional service that goes beyond these customers’ expectations.

5. Genchi Genbutsu: Go and See

Genchi Genbutsu, often translated as "go and see for yourself," is a key principle in Japanese management. This principle underlines the importance of firsthand observation and experience in problem-solving and decision-making.

Lesson: Within your organization, always encourage the managers and decision-makers to personally observe and understand issues on the front lines of the business. They should not rely solely on reports and data provided to them.

Case Study: Toyota Sienna and the 53,000-Mile Road Trip

Yuji Yokoya, Toyota’s chief engineer, applied the principle of Genchi Genbutsu , which means “Go and See,” while redesigning the Toyota Sienna minivan for the North American market. To truly understand the challenges faced by drivers, Yokoya embarked on a 53,000-mile journey across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

During this extensive road trip, he noticed that the minivan was blown into the next lane by strong winds and that road noise made conversations difficult. He addressed these issues by narrowing panel gaps and adding sound-dampening materials.

By experiencing these conditions firsthand, Yokoya gathered insights that would have been impossible to obtain through reports alone. This approach not only improved Sienna’s design but also demonstrated the effectiveness of Genchi Genbutsu in creating products that better meet customer needs. The case study highlights the value of going to the source to see and understand problems directly, leading to more informed and effective solutions.

6. Ringi System: Bottom-Up Decision-Making

Ever heard of an organization that allows proposals to originate from the lowest-ranking employees and move upwards? This is what the Ringi system is all about.

The Ringi system is a collaborative decision-making process where proposals originate from lower-level employees and are gradually approved as they move up the organizational hierarchy. It is an unorthodox approach that ensures every decision made within the organization gets well-considered with broad support.

Lesson: Within your organization, you should aim to implement a decision-making process that encourages input and proposals from all levels of the organization. This gives you an easier time in the management of the organization with seamless implementation of proposals.

Case Study: Sony’s Morita: A Visionary Leader

An article in Asia Pacific Perspectives by Richard J. Lambert highlights the visionary leadership of Akio Morita, who co-founded Sony in the aftermath of World War II. Morita’s leadership combined traditional Japanese values with aggressive international business strategies, setting a new standard for corporate development in post-war Japan. His approach led to the creation of a hybrid management style that was both innovative and adaptive, allowing Sony to grow from a small company into a global powerhouse.

A key aspect of Sony’s decision-making process was the use of the Ringi system, which emphasizes bottom-up decision-making and consensus-building. This method ensured that decisions were well-vetted and supported by comprehensive analysis and input from various levels of the organization. Under Morita’s guidance, Sony became synonymous with innovation, introducing groundbreaking products like the Walkman and PlayStation.

The article emphasizes how Morita’s personal passion and strategic vision, combined with the collaborative Ringi process, were crucial in navigating the company through various challenges and establishing it as a leader in the electronics and entertainment industries.

7. Lifetime Employment: Long-Term Commitment

While not as common as it used to be in the past, the concept of lifetime employment, also referred to as shinshō seido, still influences Japanese work culture. A good number of Japanese companies still invest heavily in employee development. In return, they expect long-term loyalty from such employees.

According to a study by the Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training , the ratio of workers continuously employed for 10 years or more in Japan is relatively high at 44.5%. They also experienced 25% higher productivity compared to those with more transient workforces.

This concept of shinshō seido empowers the Kaizen culture of continuous improvement. Overall, this translates to better productivity over time. 

Historically, large Japanese corporations would often hire employees directly out of university and offer them a lifetime of employment, subject to the company's performance. 

This practice fostered a strong sense of loyalty and commitment among employees, leading to a dedicated workforce. While lifetime employment is less common today, especially in smaller companies, the emphasis on loyalty and long-term relationships remains a significant aspect of Japanese work culture.

Lesson: Invest in long-term employee development and create a work environment that encourages loyalty and commitment.

8. Senpai-Kohai System: Mentorship and Knowledge Transfer

The Senpai-Kohai system is a hierarchical mentorship structure where senior employees (Senpai) guide and support junior colleagues (Kohai). This system facilitates knowledge transfer and helps maintain organizational culture.

Companies with formalized Senpai-Kohai programs report faster onboarding times for new employees. They also get higher retention rates among junior staff.

Mentorship and training are highly valued in Japanese companies. Senior employees often take on the role of mentors, providing guidance and support to younger employees. This helps to ensure that knowledge and skills are passed down from generation to generation.

Lesson: In any forward-looking organization, a structured mentorship program should be implemented. This will help facilitate knowledge transfer and support the development of junior employees. Further, it reduces onboarding timelines and increases overall productivity due to quicker skills and knowledge transfer.

9. Work-Life Balance: Evolving Perspectives

Traditionally, Japanese work culture was known for long working hours. However, recent government initiatives and changing societal attitudes have led to a greater focus on work-life balance.

This was reflected in the OECD Work-Life Balance in Japan report, which highlighted the need for work-life balance in any organization that seeks high productivity.

Lesson: Prioritize work-life balance initiatives to improve employee well-being and productivity.

10. Gambari: Perseverance and Dedication

Gambari, or the spirit of perseverance, is another core value in Japanese work culture. It emphasizes dedication, hard work, and resilience in the face of challenges.

Companies that actively promote the Gambari spirit experience higher employee engagement scores. They also get better financial performance compared to their industry peers.

Lesson: Foster a culture of perseverance and dedication while providing support systems to prevent burnout.

Case Study: Rakuten's Englishization

Rakuten, a leading Japanese e-commerce company, provides an interesting case study of adapting Japanese work culture to global business needs. In 2010, CEO Hiroshi Mikitani announced the "Englishization" of the company, mandating English as the official language of business.

This bold move aimed to make Rakuten more competitive globally and attract international talent. Despite initial challenges, the policy led to significant benefits, including:

• By 2023, 80% of Rakuten's new engineering hires were non-Japanese.
• The company's overseas revenue increased from 10% in 2010 to 45% in 2024.
• Employee engagement surveys showed a 25% increase in cross-departmental collaboration.

Rakuten's success demonstrates how Japanese companies can adapt their work culture to meet global challenges while maintaining core values.

Japan’s work culture, with its emphasis on continuous improvement, collaboration, and dedication, offers valuable lessons for organizations worldwide. By adopting principles such as Kaizen, Nemawashi, and Genchi Genbutsu, businesses can drive innovation, enhance employee engagement, and improve overall efficiency. The success of Japanese companies like Toyota, Sony, and Rakuten showcases how these practices can be adapted to overcome modern organizational challenges.

For companies seeking to implement these insights, Edstellar stands out as a reliable partner in skill development. Offering industry-specific training programs such as Performance Management, Organization Culture, and Customer Service Excellence, Edstellar supports workforce development initiatives.

Their comprehensive approach, including skill gap analysis with their Skill Matrix Tool and personal executive coaching, ensures that employees are continuously learning and growing. By combining these time-tested principles with Edstellar's expertly designed, interactive learning solutions, organizations can foster sustainable growth, long-term success, and a more engaged workforce in today's competitive global business environment.

By Pete Ford

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