Kanji and Humility

Sadly, humility is lacking throughout much of the world thus creating issues like this. My only problem with Japanese words is I don’t know proper way to say many of them. But then I realise no one else knows if I am saying them wrong so usually just go ahead!

Hi Ron,
I think that the use of foreign words is a common practice in most languages and specially if there is a niche where everybody knows and uses them, like lean is. And I agree with Sanjuro that it is a waste of our time and human potential discussing these things. Everybody is free to use words that he thinks appropriate for the problems he is trying to solve and the people he is talking to…

I agree with using some of the Japanese words, but I don’t agree with all of your rationale. I think in many cases the translation is not an accurate representation of the semantic mental component conveyed by the Japanese word. I am taking the word of people who speak Japanese since I don’t. I do speak fluent Spanish and I can say that there are some Spanish words that don’t have good transliterates in English. If two indo-european languages don’t match well word for word (one is a germanic and the other is latinate though) I would expect two languages as distant as Japanese and English to match up any better. In these cases I think that no translation is better than a weak translation. Go ahead and use more words to explain the Japanese word as this is better than fixing an innacurate semantic understanding based on the English.
On the other hand I don’t really agree that it is disrespectful to those who paved the way to translate. If that is the case then the Japanese disrespected Henry Ford who described what Shingo would have called a physical contact poka – yoke in the case of the manufacture of bushings and then expounded upon the generalizations of the method in Today and Tomorrow which was written before there was such an enterprise known as Toyota Motors. This is just one example of the lean paradigm that was ‘paved’ by Americans in the English language and then those Americans were subsequently disrespected by your standard by Japanese people who translated them into their language. So when I say error proof do I disrespect Ohno, Shingo, et al or do I disrespect Henry Ford when I say poka yoke?
That is your quandry not mine. I don’t think it is at all disrespectful to translate words from one language to another. Do you suggest that SPC or PDCA remains in English throughout Japan? TWI has not been translated? Did Genichi Taguchi develop his methods in English since they really are special cases of fractional factorials principally developed by Lawes, Gilbert, Fisher, and Yates – all English speakers. If the answer is no to any of these then the Japanese have no moral claim to cry disrespect when someone reasonably translates their in to another language(if at risk of doing so imprecisely) as they translated the work of other cultures into their language — for the purpose of making it accesible to the majority of people in their culture.

Dou you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You wish to build a tower to pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundatio of humility.
St. Augustine

I have this quote laminated at my workstation and read it every day!

Words are tools meant to communicate and teach. By using the right word that best fits the situation wheather it be Japanese of english is what I choose to do. Lean thinking uses a set of tools word choices, body language, and thetone of your voice may not be on most list of items in the tool box but I would argue that these may be the most important and inpactful tools to stimulate “lean thinkers”.

If I can see further that others, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants.

Sir Isaac Nweton

We can honor those giants who paved the way before us by not being constrained by our own guilt over not respecting them by the words we choose.

Since I lived in many countries I have had to learn different languages and o those languages had one thing in common: they used many words derived from other languages, literally or adapted. So for me it is easy to include some japanese words to my vocabulary if I need to. It is no big deal! But from what I have read in this blog and related ones, I think that now we have to add an 8th deadly waste: Discussing the use of the rigth word. THERE IS NO RIGHT WORD!! Words were invented to communicate with other human beings, so you should use words that will help you communicate your ideas easily or better to others. This is what the Japanese have done by not using Henry Ford’s words when they adopted his methods.
So all this discussion is OK for a change of pace during the Xmas holidays, but please, as we go back to work, lets stop this nonsense!

I personally belieive in usung the Japanese words to allow for greater learning. My organization has a “no Japanese words” policy that I feel hinders people from outside learning. “Branding” lean with only internal organizational terms instead of the Japanese terms that are frequently used in books, articles, and blogs potentially limits long term understanding.

I will concede that people should always look into the effectiveness of using the language. If a barrier is created and people can not get past it, don’t die on that hill. It is not sacred to keep the language Japanese. Save the terminology for the group and share it once they begin to display they understand the thinking.

Lean words in Japanese have very subtle but important differences than the English equivalents.

For example, the Lean movement has adopted the tenet “Respect for People”, but internally at Toyota we were always taught “Respect for the Human”.

There is a subtle but very, very big difference between use of “human” versus “people”. There is a level of meaning and understanding that changes how we behave.

Only the Japanese equivalent can convey that deeper part, and the English equivalent might be great for most Lean consultants or the Lean subculture, a deeper understanding can come to those who truly wish to go beyond the superficial.

It sounds mystical, but one can’t escape the connection between language, behavior, tradition, and religion.