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So I learned about _kaizen_ at school, and we defined the word as meaning
"continuous change and improvement for the better".

The word _kaizen_ seems to have a bigger and deeper meaning than this simple
definition implies. Does this word have a significance or meaning that one
might not be able to learn from a dictionary definition?

I love the word and idea behind it, but I was wondering what the exact meaning
was so that I could use _kaizen_ for my college essay, which asks "what word
in another language cannot, or should not, be translated from its original
language?"
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2014-09-01T22:53:09.707
18529
2017-08-30T03:08:22.967
2014-09-02T16:00:41.090
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question
translation meaning
What is the exact meaning of "kaizen"?
From my research, I believe that Kaizen ((改善) refers to the continual
betterment of an activity, be it healthcare, banking, or education. But it
must include all employees, from the CEO/President to the janitor to make
things better for everyone. Is this close to what you were looking for? The
basic premise is that by making things better, or more efficient, it will
reduce waste.

It appears to be an idea that was implemented after WWII. Simply the word
means "good change". But it has taken on a very business oriented definition
since WWII.

I think this link has a really good explanation of the term:
<http://lifehacker.com/207029/practice-your-personal-kaizen>

I hope this helps! Best of luck with your essay!
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2014-09-01T23:07:54.023
18531
2014-09-01T23:07:54.023
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In Japanese, usually 改善【かいぜん】 is no more than a neutral and simple word that
corresponds to "improvement" or "refinement".

The only fact I know as a piece of knowledge, which make this word somewhat
"special", is that some companies like Toyota [love this word as a
slogan](http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4569691897).

Apparently, Toyota's special method of 改善, also written specifically as
"カイゼン", [has been introduced
internationally](http://kotobank.jp/word/%E3%82%AB%E3%82%A4%E3%82%BC%E3%83%B3),
and gained deeper meaning outside of Japan. I personally didn't know that, and
I'm surprised to see the lengthy English Wikipedia article about _Kaizen_. I
would say _Kaizen_ of that kind is a (English) buzzword, only known to part of
the Japanese population.
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2014-09-02T05:15:20.657
18535
2014-09-02T05:23:53.403
2014-09-02T05:23:53.403
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I read an article written by a linguist, who agreed with Naruto, but added
that continual improvement, always seeking to improve, is so embedded in
Japanese culture that no additional qualifiers are required to confer meaning.

However, For the U.S., and many other cultures, there is not necessarily the
_implied_ richness around the ongoing nature of improvement inherent in the
word's meaning, so continual helps to bridge the gap.
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2016-12-16T17:20:32.223
41727
2016-12-16T17:20:32.223
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改善 merely means improvement, but the Toyota management concept others have
mentioned - often written in katakana as カイゼン to disambiguate it - is
prevalent in Japan, as well as Japan's overseas development assistance
programs.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-18T18:38:13.517
41778
2016-12-18T18:38:13.517
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answer