An ex-resident and frequent visitor finds convenience and
joy in the little things that Japan does so damn well
Little things matter. This truth is hard-wired into the
Japanese psyche.
Kaizen — the Japanese practice of continuous improvement
through small, incremental changes — is well-known and influential worldwide.
At least in the West, kaizen is primarily thought of as a method for improving
manufacturing, engineering and other business processes.
But kaizen goes much deeper in Japan. Kaizen here is
organic, ubiquitous and attuned to the physical and psychological needs of
human beings. At its best, this “human-scale kaizen” (HSK) eliminates or eases
many of the mundane uncertainties, annoyances and embarrassments of daily life.