If you need kanji, here you go.

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Note added at 2002-08-23 00:24:51 (GMT)
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What would you like to know?
translation??

I work for a first-tier supplier in the Automotive industry, and this is one of the many catch words we have adopted into English from Japanese, (others include Gemba, Poka-Yoke, Muda, etc).

It is as Rasputin says a method of working developed by Toyota. Due to our supply to them, we have had to adopt it, (it's actually a very good system). It means continuous improvement in English, (but encompasses alot more than just that.

Over 83000 hits on Google. The best would be the official Kaizen institutes website, (or of course that for Toyota.)

KAIZEN is a Japanese word meaning gradual and orderly, continuous improvement. The KAIZEN business strategy involves everyone in an organization working together to make improvements 'without large capital investments'.

KAIZEN is a culture of sustained continuous improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and processes of an organization. The KAIZEN strategy begins and ends with people. With KAIZEN, an involved leadership guides people to continuously improve their ability to meet expectations of high quality, low cost, and on-time delivery. KAIZEN transforms companies into 'Superior Global Competitors'.

Continous improvement for QS 9000, continual improvement for ISO 9001, ISO 14000, TS16246
Now we are in quality system world. Continual improvement means stepwise improvement; continuous improvement means perfectly continuing and gradual improvement.
Iw ork for quality system accreditation.

We used it at Isuzu Jidousha.

Gustavo Fonseca