Zenkai Improvement Partners
Supporting Lean initiatives worldwide with Japanese training solutions
Zenkai Improvement Partners collaborates with lean consultants around the world to provide optimized training and consulting solutions based on the best Japanese management practices available. As well as working with the top TPS trainers in Japan, we also provide access to organizations and individuals who deliver world class manufacturing know-how to the world. With a solid focus on sustainable improvement and the development of “problem solvers” within organizations, our training solutions can be tailored to the specific needs of any organization.
In the Japanese language, there are many homophones, words that have the same phonetic sound but are very different in meaning. Depending on the Chinese Kanji characters used, the meaning varies greatly. In spoken Japanese, the listener knows the meaning from the context of the sentence in which the word is used.
The word “zenkai” has many possible combinations of kanji characters. While the meanings can differ according to the sentence, generally speaking all of the meanings have positive connotations.
Here are some typical examples of how zenkai can be written in Japanese.
“Zen” usually conveys the meaning of good, complete or total.
As a verb “kai” can mean open, solve, change, transform or investigate while as a noun it denotes an organization, a gathering or the world.
For Zenkai Improvement Partners, we choose to use all of the positive interpretations that you see above, and we don’t want to limit our image to one fixed meaning.
The Yamakuni River is a picturesque waterway that flows along the border between Oita and Fukuoka Prefectures on the island of Kyushu. In Oita, at the town of Yabakei, the river has carved out its path from towering rock cliffs that now form the shoreline. Near that shore, there is a remarkable tunnel that was dug completely by hand over 260 years ago by a solitary monk.
Zenkai was not a native of the Yabakei area but had moved there as part of his monastic training at the age of 49. In his younger years, Zenkai had committed a terrible crime that led to a man’s death. He chose to find his salvation by joining the religious order and he was dispatched to Yabakei to reflect on the Buddhist teachings.
After arriving in Yabakei, he saw the dangers that the villagers had to face every day as they carried heavy loads through the treacherous mountain paths that connected the villages and a local shrine. It was not unusual for the villagers to lose their lives after falling into the mighty Yamakuni.
It was then that Zenkai realized why fate had brought him to Yabakei. He knew he had been given the mission to improve the lives of the villagers. He decided to dedicate the rest of his life to digging a safe passage through the solid rock, allowing people and products to flow safely and smoothly.
Using only a hammer and a chisel, and while facing ridicule from the doubting townspeople, Zenkai diligently spent the next 32 years chiseling through the mountain. Because of his dogged determination and unbreakable spirit, the 185-meter tunnel was completed in 1763.
We at Zenkai Improvement Partners pay our respect to Zenkai’s perseverance and dedication to the betterment of all.
To make workplaces everywhere better for employees.
To add value to organizations by supporting improvement initiatives.
To create collaboration opportunities for consultants worldwide.
To foster a “back-to-the-basics” approach using the fundamentals of TPS.
To develop and showcase Japanese training content.
Reiko Kano
Reiko Kano has been involved in KAIZEN mainly based on TPS (Toyota Production System) for 35 years. Her exposure to TPS started when she met Taiichi Ohno the father of TPS and Shigeo Shingo as an interpreter back in 1987. She soon became the designated interpreter to Yoshiki Iwata, the founder of Shingijutsu and spent thousands of hours on Gemba working side by side with the master of KAIZEN till his passing in 2001.
Since then, her role has become more consulting, putting to good use the knowledge she acquired from the masters. She has witnessed every phase of lean implementation in 15 different countries in many different industries.
Among the clients she has served are Danaher Corporation, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, General Electric, Virginia Mason Medical Center and United Technologies.
Her first book in Japanese - トヨタ式が世界を制した本当の理由（The Real Reason Why TPS Conquered the World）」 was published in December 2017.
Reiko is the founder and president of LMN Co., LTD. Tokyo.
Mail: rkano@zenkaipartners.com
David Fitzpatrick
David Fitzpatrick is a Japan-based consultant, small business owner and a Director of the Client Services Section of Midas Communications Ltd.
Since leaving his position as a Senior Consultant at one of the region’s top manufacturing consultancies in 2020, David has been offering remote and in-person consulting services to clients from his base in Western Japan.
A passionate practitioner of all things TPS and kaizen related, he welcomes the challenge of helping organizations in their pursuit of operational optimization.
When borders opened after the pandemic, David assumed a lead role in coordinating several operational transformation projects in the Asia- Pacific region. He excels in cross cultural communication and has helped many international organizations overcome challenges related to doing business in Asia. His fluency in the language and familiarity with the culture has made him a sought-after facilitator and coordinator for many international projects. He is also a regular contributor to the World Class Manufacturing Mission of the EU-Japan Center for Industrial Cooperation.
Originally from Prince Edward Island, Canada, David has called Japan home since 1995.
Mail: dfitz@zenkaipartners.com
