In Memoriam: Masaaki Imai, "The Father of KAIZEN™" (1930⁠-⁠2023)

Blog post with photos and more

I was saddened to learn today that Masaaki Imai passed away, as announced this week by the organization he founded, KAIZEN Institute. He was 92.

Mr. Imai was well known for his books, including KAIZEN, his follow up Gemba Kaizen, and his latest, Strategic KAIZEN™ (published in 2021). He traveled the world teaching people about continuous improvement.

I'd like to first express my deepest condolences to Mr. Imai's family, friends, and colleagues.

I had the fantastic opportunity to meet Mr. Imai a few times -- once in Seattle when he was visiting and speaking at a healthcare organization, and twice during Japan study tours organized by Kaizen Institute. Thank you for your contributions to the world, Mr. Imai!