Chapter 11
Dr. Ishikawa’s International Activities

Professor Kaoru Ishikawa has made remarkable contributions internationally andsignificant progress toward quality control.
In 1958, Dr. Ishikawa joined QC Study Mission by Japan Productivity Center tothe United States where he had technical exchanges on quality control with Americancounterparts. Starting with this mission, he devoted himself to international cooperation
by attending QC conferences in various countries.
From 1959, he served as editor-in-chief of Reports of Statistical Application
Research, JUSE, an English journal published by JUSE. Dr. Ishikawa worked hard to
introduce practices and research of Japanese total quality control to the world.
From 1966 to 69, he participated Six-Man-Board as a representative of Japan forthe preparation to found International Academy for Quality for the purpose of theinternationalization of quality control. In 1969, IAQ (International Academy of Quality)
was built consisting of the qualified experts of QC from the world. At the academy, Dr.
Ishikawa served as President from 1981 to 1983, and as Chairman from 1984 to 1986.
For organizing the world’s first international conference on quality control atTokyo in 1969, he made a tremendous effort as vice chair of the technical sessioncommittee to lead the conference to a success. Then, he served as the chairman ofprogram committees of the same conference held in Japan every nine years in 1978 and1987 respectively.
In addition to his contribution to international exchanges regarding quality control,
Dr. Ishikawa’s great achievement was also in guiding quality control in developing
countries. Particularly, he took part in educational programs at such Japaneseinstitutions of international cooperation, Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Association for Overseas Technical
Scholarship (AOTS), and Japan-China Economic Association, where he served as chief
program coordinator or lecturer at many quality control seminars for professionals fromdeveloping countries. He also went overseas to give his lecture and guidance on quality
control.
The number of countries Dr. Ishikawa visited was at total of 32 countries forPART III Accomplishments of Prof. Kaoru Ishikawa

lecturing, conferencing, instructing, or researching. Its breakdown is as follows: 11
countries in Asia-Pacific, 2 countries in North America, 14 countries in Europe,
Australia and South Africa. His trips added up to 143.

100
n=143

90

30

80
60

20

50
40
30

10

20

Cumulative %Number of Visit

70

10
0
Switzerland
USA
TaiwanChina
South Korea
Hong Kong
FranceUK
Germany
BrazilThailand
Italy
Holland
USSR
Philippines
Others0

Others:Three visits to Sweden, India, Mexico, Canada and Malaysia.
Two visits to Australia, Singapore, Denmark and Belgium.
One visit to Finland, Indonesia, Spain, Bulgaria, Argentina,
East Germany and Republic of Africa.
Figure 11.1 Pareto chart of Dr. Ishikawa’s Overseas Destinations

Dr. Ishikawa also served as chairman of the Enterprise Management Working
Group at Japan-China Economic Association since 1978 to his last days, as trustee at the
Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship, as both president from 1978 andchairman from 1988 at Japan China Industry and Culture Center (Japan China Science,
Technology and Culture Center from 1988), respectively.
For all of his efforts, American Society for Quality Control† awarded the Eugene L.
Grant Medal to Dr. Ishikawa in 1972 for his contribution to education and spread of
quality control; also the Shewhart Medal for his outstanding contribution for the
progress of quality control in 1983. He was the first non-U.S. citizen to be elected†

ASQC was renamed to ASQ from 1997.
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Chapter 11 Dr. Ishikawa’s International Activities

honorary member of American Society for Quality Control in 1986. The Asia-PacificQuality Organization awarded the first international prize to Dr. Ishikawa in 1985 for
his international contribution to the development of quality control.

Eugene L. Grant Award

Shewhart Medal

Dr. Ishikawa was chosen as honorary member at the following institutions:
American Society for Quality Control (ASQC), Philippine Society for Quality,
Argentine Society for Quality, Brazilian Society for Quality Control and Columbian
Society for Quality. He was an honorary chairman at China Quality Control Association
and Brazilian Society for Quality Control, honorary chairman at British Society for
Quality Circle. Dr. Ishikawa is the only one non-US citizenship honorary member of
ASQC so far.

11.1

Learning from Abroad(1)

Quality Control Study Mission by Japan Productivity Center to the U.S. Foresight for
Globalization

The very first introduction of Japanese practices of QC to outside this country took
place in 1958 when Dr. Ishikawa visited U.S.A. as a member of QC Study Mission by
Japan Productivity Center. This mission to the U.S. included latter-day leaders ofJapanese TQC such as Mr. Noboru Yamaguchi (as the mission leader), Dr. Hajime
Karatsu, Mr. Eizo Watanabe, Mr. Masao Ina as well as Dr. Ishikawa. The mission’sreport Quality Control in America (see material at the end of the document [B3]) is avaluable work to be referred as a bible of QC. The report touched upon such continuing
discussion points as “Organization and Operation of QC,” “Design of Quality,”“Vendor-Vendee Relations,” “Reliability,” and others. One of characteristics of the287

PART III Accomplishments of Prof. Kaoru Ishikawa

report was that the mission did not merely introduce actual American cases but frankly
pointed out somethings in which U.S.A. was behind Japan such as economy ofinspection.

Japan Productivity Center’s QC Study Mission in U.S.A. at Allentown Plant ofWestern Electric, taken in 1958. Dr. Ishikawa was sub-leader. Front row
from left: Kazuo Maki, Noboru Yamaguchi (leader), Dr. Ishikawa, Masao
Sasaki and Eizo Watanabe. Second row from left: Hajime Karatsu, Toshio Mino,
Masao Ina, Kouichi Yamamoto and Sadao Okada.

Furthermore, each chapter included a section titled “Recommendations” where themission members wrote suggestions to Japan regarding quality control. Some of theseare valid even today.
The report, with a focus on QC in Japan, and based on comparative study ofcultures in USA and Japan, clarified very well both what to learn and what not to adopt,“as is.” These findings match with Dr. Ishikawa’s thinking, his life attitude and his wayof researching. It would not be an exaggeration to say that his views on globalization,and quality control practice outside Japan in particular, were already shaped within him
at that time.
After that, Dr. Ishikawa accelerated the introduction and spread of the Japanese
way of QC, or TQC overseas at such opportunities as ASQC convention (1965, [39])and EOQC convention in 1966.
It was in the late 1970s when Japanese TQC was paid attention from outside of288

Chapter 11 Dr. Ishikawa’s International Activities

Japan. At the same time, Japanese had started to discuss the need for globalization ofbusinesses. When I consider all these facts, Dr. Ishikawa was practicing globalization ofJapanese TQC more than a decade before 1970s. It showed his astonishing foresight.
Actually in the beginning, he seemed to advertise the high quality ofMade-in-Japan products through quality control, in order to assist in increasing exports.
However, after Japanese enterprise expanded overseas, they called for business
management including QC in a manner that fitted local conditions. Therefore Dr.
Ishikawa started to preach that TQC should be globalized. Consequently, he succeededin transferring Japanese TQC to non-Japanese firms that he had previously avoided
because of a most difficult task. Dr. Ishikawa was in the forefront of globalization toraise the level of other countries by means of transferring Japanese TQC.
Dr. Ishikawa’s pioneer spirit can be seen in the practice of globalization ofJapanese TQC as he went ahead of the times by recognizing the roles and tasks ofbusiness corporations and practicing what he had to do.
(Hiroshi Osada)

Mourning the Death of Prof. Ishikawa
Noboru Yamaguchi
My personal relationship with Professor Ishikawa started at the very beginning of
the introduction of Quality Control in Japan and has continued till now. I feel really sad
as I am not able to see him anymore.
It was around 1949 or 1950 when I learned quality control for the first time at alecture by Civil Communication Section (CCS). In those days, we were seriously
thinking and worrying every day about how to reconstruct Japan at the national leveland not just with individual or corporate perspectives. Then, learning statistical quality
control gave us a lot of encouragement as we believed that this would be the basis of
our national reconstruction.
We could study and learn this subject of quality control at the newly organizedUnion of Japanese Scientists and Engineers office located inside a building at
Yaesu-side of the Tokyo Railway Station. Professor Ishikawa and many more from the
University of Tokyo, Professor Mizuno and others from Tokyo Institute of Technology,
and some of us from the industrial sector got involved in the program. The group started
to learn the subject by collecting hard-to-find references, and mutually sharing theexperience that we executed.
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PART III Accomplishments of Prof. Kaoru Ishikawa

In 1958, the first mission to the United States was organized by Japan Productivity
Center to study quality control. Since I had traveled together with the professor, we had
developed a much closer personal relationship. It was customary for the mission
members to meet reunite with their family one night two days Hakone resort in March
every year. Professor Ishikawa and I were never absent from the reunion since it started.
We held this reunion in this March, too and had a very enjoyable night. I will miss him.
He made up the ideal quality control that helped to develop Japan with thecooperation of all participants and brought it into business, which is surely his great
achievement. Hoping for more advancement in quality control for the sake of further
development of Japan, I would like to conclude my thoughts, which are dedicated tomemory of the professor.
(Former managing director and honorable corporate associate,
TOSHIBA Corporation.)

In Memory of Prof. Kaoru Ishikawa
Hajime Karatsu
After the Emperor Showa passed away, I am afraid that many personalities ofrepresenting the Showa era are gone. Dr. Nishibori is gone and Dr. Ishikawa also passed
away followed by, Konosuke Matsushita, founder of the Panasonic corporate group andtoday Miss Hibari Misora a national icon in entertainment business also died. The
Showa years are coming to an end, I am afraid.
My personal relations with the professor started when I was at the Inspection
Department of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (currently NTT),
where we started to learn QC as we were about to introduce American practice of QC in
Japan. However, the climax came when I could join him in the very first mission to the
U.S. to study quality control with Mr. Noboru Yamaguchi, then at TOSHIBA, as theleader. We travelled around the U.S. and prepared a final report in Washington DC. We
visited some great practitioners such as Western Electric. On the other hand, we also
found a misunderstanding that inspection is enough for controlling quality. Then,
Professor Ishikawa gathered to give the American counterparts a lecture on this matter.
It was really a mission with a great harvest.
Those original members have been together every March in Kowaki-en Hotel in
Hakone resort, with their spouses, for almost twenty years. Last March, we met theProfessor as usual, and found him to make a good recovery even he had been sick for a
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Chapter 11 Dr. Ishikawa’s International Activities

long time. So we drank together again after a long interval. What a shock it was to hear
about his sudden death. I immediately visited his residence in Chofu, Tokyo with mywife to offer our sincere condolence. But I could not find any word to Mrs. Ishikawa as
we felt really sorry for her.
It is needless to say that the Professor left us tremendous achievements. I would
like to just pick up some of these: he propagated to the world how wonderful Japanese
TQC was. He also created the belief that high quality products from Japan could be
accepted everywhere. These his contributions would have made a special place inhistory.
Still, he could have worked more if we consider the present extended-longevity ofJapanese people. His death is a great loss to us. Please accept my sincere condolence.
(Professor at Tokai University;
President of Tokai University Fukuoka Junior College;
Former Managing Director of Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd.)In Memory of Prof. Kaoru Ishikawa
Eizo Watanabe
Professor Ishikawa was my close associate to study QC since 1949 and I could
learn a lot from him.
I pay my respect to his characteristic that he expressed his opinion to everyone in astraight forward manner but never left anyone with uncomfortable impression. It
represented his belief that human nature is fundamentally good what he also described
in QC Circle activity.
When we reached to the last venue, the Pentagon in Washington DC, as a firstquality control study mission to U.S., I still remember the following. The professor andMr. Hajime Karatsu raised many questions and gave their opinions on QC of military
supplies which surprised the American counterparts. Without showing any sense ofdispleasure, they asked a lot of questions to Professor Ishikawa.
In 1983, Professor Ishikawa was awarded the Shewhart Medal of the year 1982 at
the annual meeting of ASQC in Boston, Massachusetts. When I heard that nobody
attended the meeting except the Professor, I decided to go there. When I was listening toan oral presentation at a session, he came in. As soon as he came in, the moderator
stopped the presentation and introduced the Professor as the originator of QC Circle,
with a huge applause. In addition to this welcome, I want to tell you one part of his
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speech: the Professor told the audience that American foreman is a person to give anorder, but Japanese foreman is a teacher and a leader.
He looked very cheerful while drinking and eating at our annual reunion of the first
QC mission team held at Kowaki-en, March 11. His sudden death have made me reallysad.
I sincerely pray for him in this time of his loss.
(Advisor at JUSE;
Formerly with Mitsubishi Metal Corporation)(2)

Quality Control Overseas Study Team of JUSE

JUSE’s Quality Control Overseas Study Mission started in 1963, visiting USA first,
with the leader Mr. Kenichi Koyanagi, Executive Director of JUSE. The principle “Giveand Take” was initiated in the second mission in 1965 with the leader Dr. Kaoru
Ishikawa. The second mission was suddenly formed in February, 1995 and dispatched to
USA because of the cancellation of an international conference on quality control inTokyo. For a few months, the second mission compiled a Japanese-English referencetable of QC technical terms, then they prepared “Agenda of Discussion,” in both
Japanese and English and reference materials with a brief description on ‘how it is donein Japan’ for every critical question to Americans.
In those days, Japanese quality control was not popular among those Americans,hence the great majority of the time was spent for the questions to Americans. However,Prof. Ishikawa as the team leader always tried to discuss as equally by saying “We aredoing this way in Japan and how about you in USA?” These practices became a
tradition from the following teams as documented in “Actual State of Quality Control inJapan,” a report compiled by respective teams in English, which has been highly
appreciated at every destination of the teams. Since “QC Circle Overseas Training
Missions” started in 1968, it has been customary to prepare a report including
experience of the team members recorded in English. Moreover, they have been done
presentations using the tape pre-recorded in English. Thus, “Give and Take” is not aprinciple, however it is implemented in all the study missions sent by JUSE.
(By Junji Noguchi, Executive Director & Secretary General, JUSE)

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Remembering Prof. Ishikawa
Yoshio Kondo
It was 1951 when I first time met Prof. Ishikawa at the fifth JUSE QC Basic
Course in Osaka. I had learned a lot from him for almost forty years since then. In one’s
lifetime, there are always a handful of very influential teachers and seniors; Professor
was definitely one of them for me.
I joined the seventh QC Study Mission to U.S. by JUSE as a sub-leader under Dr.
Ishikawa, who was the leader. For this mission, Professor Ishikawa planned a newconcept of visiting plant and exchanging program based on his vast experience in thepast. The members could learn such little-known concepts in Japan at that time likedesign review, product liability and others. We also visited GM’s facilities at Lordstown,
Ohio, a hot topic in newspapers for their workers’ motivation. To learn the realsituations, let the team members accumulate a lot to their experiences. We also
improved our communication while drinking almost every night at the hotel bygathering in one room with the drawers used as shift tables or chairs.
Mr. and Mrs. Ishikawa went to Washington DC ahead of the rest of the teammembers who were enjoying great scenery of Grand Canyon. At that time, International
Academy of Quality (IAQ), a focus area for him over the years, was about to be born.
Regarding IAQ, I recall that it was very successful due to the professor’s great personaleffort. Particularly, at a party in Kyoto, where IAQ meeting was held in 1978, everyone
joined in a circle of popular folk dancing TANKO-BUSHI following the leader’s dance,a good old memory of me. Dr. Ishikawa, later, was elected to Vice Chairman, Chairman
and Honorary Member of IAQ.
At his funeral, Mr. J. Douglas Ekings attended on behalf of American Society for
Quality Control (ASQC). When ASQC’s annual convention was held in Toronto,
Canada after his death, at its opening event on May 8, 1989, Mr. Bill Golomski, having
a lot of friends in Japan, made a speech to mourn his death and praise his achievements,
for five minutes before the scheduled proceedings, which was followed by a standing
ovation and silent prayer by all the participants of around 3,000. I think it was a quite
uncommon prayer to an individual by ASQC.
(Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University)

293PART III Accomplishments of Prof. Kaoru Ishikawa

Prof. Ishikawa and HONDA
Taro Yasukawa
As Japan saw an emerging problem of defective automobiles, following the UnitedStates since late 1960s, it compelled Honda Motor, where I was working then, toenhance quality assurance more stringently. As I was asked to formulate a betterorganization for quality assurance, I proposed to carry out re-education on QC for
everyone, quality audit and introduction of QC Circle activity to my superior. Then I
requested Prof Ishikawa to guide us on how to realize these, as I was assisted by him
previously for middle-management training at JUSE as well as meetings at ASQC.
With a lot of experience in QC guidance in various industrial fields, Professor
Ishikawa was well exposed to realities of the industrial world and he could tell us theway to promote QC in a suitable manner for HONDA while introducing many experts
from academic field. We organized overnight-stay training programs for selected young
members inside and outside the company including major vendors as well to enhancetheir QC expertise and it was called HBC. This practice is being kept even today,
twenty-some years later.
As our QC education and circle activity took off, just two-year ahead of thecompany’s 25th anniversary, we decided to promote HONDA’s own TQC titled as NEW
HONDA PLAN for overall up gradation of quality of our business structure. A dozen ofpromising mid-level employees from various departments were assigned forre-examining all the business tasks and making the reform plans leaving their original
designations.
At that time, I joined the seventh QC study mission to U.S. with Professor
Ishikawa as the leader and we could attend the annual convention of ASQC and the first
IAQ in addition to a dozen-more visits and Japan-US exchange to deal with QC. I was
surprised to see how meticulously Dr. Ishikawa personally prepared for the mission
including building of team work spirit, definition of roles of each team member; it was
really marvelous to see him behaving as an internationally sophisticated person tosummarize each record of the mission. During our stay in U.S., he predicted that
product liability (PL) would emerge as a social issue in tomorrow’s Japan. Right aftercoming back home, he organized a study group dedicated to PL and tried to develop
preventive actions to deal with it. HONDA, too, set up its own in-company PLcommittee for the implementation of countermeasures and necessary actions.
Shortly after, I quit HONDA and took part in a new business at NTN Toyo Bearing.
Meanwhile, HONDA kept on growing as full-fledged car assembler accepted in the294Chapter 11 Dr. Ishikawa’s International Activities

global market. Last year, as Honda replaced its top management, an executive, thinking
that HONDA needs a change of its corporate constitution, came to me for asking my
opinion on how to renovate its corporate strength to outride the harder challenges tocome. This executive thought HONDA needed promoting TQC. As we were ex-Navalengineering officers, I could consult Mr. Kenichiro Imai, president of Japanese Society
for Quality Control and I was able to introduce Professor Noriaki Kano of Science
University of Tokyo, a disciple of Dr. Ishikawa and a good supporter of HONDA’s
internal culture. The plans were put into practice and HONDA has been promoting
TQM since then.
By writing this remembrance of Professor Ishikawa, I feel very emotional to placeon record this behind-the-scene information as an ex-HONDA guy and all I can wish isthat the deceased would watch more development of HONDA from up there.
(President, New Wave Co., Ltd.;
formerly with HONDA Motor Co., Ltd.)

11.2

Overseas Publicity: Reports of Statistical Application Research, JUSE
Reports of Statistical Application Research, JUSE or known as JUSE English

Report, is an academic journal on applied statistics in English and was founded in 1951;
each issue carries contributed papers that have been reviewed and judged worthy of
publication by at least two referees. At its inception, there was no means for Japanesestatistical professionals to publish their statistical theory or papers to deal with applied
statistics to colleagues outside Japan. The journal was intended as a forum to releasestudy results from “Research Groups on Applications of Statistical Methods” headed by
Tatsuo Kawata, to the industrial sector as well as to further promote research ofstatistical theories. In order to respond to requests by researchers and engineers in thisfield, Kenichi Koyanagi, Managing Director of JUSE, took a decisive step in launchingits editorial committee consisting of the members of the QC Research Group andProfessor Tatsuo Kawata of Tokyo Institute of Technology as the chairman on 16
September 1949. The first issue of the journal was published in March 1951. Professor
Ishikawa was one of the original editorial committee members from the start. Table 1
shows the original members of the editorial committee while Table 2 lists the original
members of Research Group on Applications of Statistical Methods.

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Table 1 Editorial Committee Members of JUSE English Report at its Inception
Chairman
Tatsuo Kawata

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Members
Kaoru Ishikawa

the University of Tokyo

Motosaburo Masuyama

the University of Tokyo

Shigeru Mizuno

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Heihachi Sakamoto

Kobe University

Table 2 Research Group on Applications of Statistical Methods
Chairman
Tatsuo Kawata

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Secretariat/Accounting
Kenichi Koyanagi

Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers

Members
Motosaburo Masuyama

the University of Tokyo

Heihachi Sakamoto

Kobe University

Shigeru Mizuno

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Kaoru Ishikawa

the University of Tokyo

Eizaburo Nishibori
Masao Goto

Prime Minister’s Office

Masao Kogure

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Shin Miura

Mitsui Chemicals

Eizo Watanabe

Taihei Mining

Publication of JUSE English Report at the start, however, was not scheduled; Vol.
1 covered from March 1951 to March 1952, Vol. 2 from April 1952 to May 1953, Vol. 3
started from December 1953 to May 1955, Vol. 4 from May 1955 to March 1957 andVol. 5 started from October 1957 to December 1958. Thus, it took eight years to reach a
total of five volumes but the journal’s fundamental character and position as
professional publication was almost consolidated at the same time. It was 1959 when
Professor Kaoru Ishikawa assumed the position of chairman of the editorial committee
and its editorial policy, even seen today, of separating Section A to deal with statisticaltheory, and Section B for practice of statistical theory he inaugurated. For the record, theeditorial committee when Professor Ishikawa became chairman of the journal is asshown in Table 3.
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Table 3 Editorial Committee Members of JUSE English Report when Professor
Ishikawa assumed the Position as Chairman
Chairman
Kaoru Ishikawa

the University of Tokyo

Members[A-Section]
Motosaburo Masuyama

the University of Tokyo

Sigeiti Moriguti

the University of Tokyo

Kinichiro Saito

Sophia University

Kiyonori Kunisawa

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Genichi Taguchi

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation[B-Section]
Shin Miura

Mitsui Chemicals

Shigeru Mizuno

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Masao Kogure

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Fujio Umibe

Tokyo Shibaura Denki

Ikuro Kusaba

Tokyo Institute of Technology

The journal, particularly after Professor Ishikawa became its editorial committee
chairman, expanded the range of focus of subjects introduced, and accepted more papers
from overseas for internationalization, in addition to a revision of its posting rules, andthe “C-Section” and “Short Notes” were added in 1967. This C-Section was intended to
introduce actual cases of quality control and statistical applications as well as kaizen
cases by QC Circle to the world. From the late 1970s, the number of papers related to
C-Section showed an increase. In the meantime, the editorial committee members wereassigned specific roles to examine such publications as Genba To QC-magazine (QC
Circle-monthly magazine, today) or Hinshitsu Kanri (Statistical Quality Control)
magazine as well as presented reports at various symposium to verify their fitness for
publication by the journal; sometimes the editorial committee encouraged the original
authors to submit their papers, in order to enhance the value of this C-Section.
Furthermore, the journal featured such topics as how QC is being taught in Japanor reports of QC Circle at certain occasions, as Professor Ishikawa decided. Its copies
were distributed to the attendants of International Conference on Quality Control(ICQC), performing the role of printed media to inform about QC practice in Japan, tothe world. The journal helped in both internationalization of Japanese practice of quality
control and Japan’s international cooperation.
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In the meantime, each research paper posted in A- and B-Sections of the journal
were highly evaluated as academic articles, and served as materials to evaluate
academic performance for the degrees of many scholars who supported Japan’s quality
control. Academic societies had to support the significant function as a number of
excellent articles appeared. Thus Professor Ishikawa made a great contribution toestablishment of the credibility of the journal inside Japan and out.
Table 4 Editorial Committee Members of JUSE English Report during Last Yearsof Professor Ishikawa
Chairman
Kaoru Ishikawa

President, Musashi Institute of Technology;
Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo

Members
Hirotsugu Akaike

Institute of Statistical Mathematics

Akira Asai

Chiba University

Chihiro Hirotsu

the University of Tokyo

Makoto Kadoyama

University of International Business and Commerce

Masao Kogure

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Hitoshi Kume

the University of Tokyo

Hajime Makabe

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Tadakazu Okuno

Science University of Tokyo

Hidenori Morimura

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Hiroshi Shiomi

Chuo University

Fujio Umibe

TOSHIBA Research Consulting

Yasutoshi Washio

Keio University

In recent years, the number of submission from both domestic and foreign sources
is declining, despite the fact that there used to be more articles submitted from Asianand Europe/American countries until the middle of 1980’s, and the journal was highly
evaluated internationally, with subscription and exchange in over 60 countries. However,since the late 1980s, submission of articles suddenly decreased and it is becoming moredifficult to sustain its quarterly publishing, in spite of great efforts by the editorialcommittee members. This decline can be attributed to a large number of otheropportunities at academic societies in Japan as well as abroad for relevant works of theSection A and B. It is regrettable to conclude that this journal’s original purpose wasfulfilled and it is necessary to pursue new missions in order to sustain its publication.
298

Chapter 11 Dr. Ishikawa’s International Activities(Toshihiro Arai, Deputy General Manager,
Research & Development Department, JUSE)

Prof. Ishikawa, a Natural-Born Leader
Tadakazu Okuno
Professor Kaoru Ishikawa was a man of selfless devotion to TQC, only for the sakeof welfare and happiness of mankind. Free from favoritism by companies, he treatedequally those whom he met, without any personal preference of any country of theworld. He made his painstaking efforts to pursue his grand goals. I feel I must take off
my hat to his way of living. Professor Ishikawa accepted many important requests, anddid every job so sincerely that I sometimes thought, “Why doesn’t he ask someone elseto do such a petty job?”
In my long acquaintance with him, I was deeply impressed by the following three
episodes.
First, the editing of the Reports of Statistical Application Research, JUSE; he wasits editor-in-chief as chairman of the editorial committee from 1959 to 1989, when hepassed away. Professor Ishikawa attended almost all editorial committee meetings heldin every two months. He kept his eye on every detailed element including selection ofreferees and correspondence between referees and the authors. Even when thesecretariat was not performing well, he never got angry but rather said, “Well, youbetter do it this way next time,” speaking like a gentle uncle. His incredible patience
was outstanding, as every editorial committee member agreed. This journal provided
with an opportunity for young researchers to publish their paper in English aboutmathematical statistics, in its early days. Later, through his proposal, the journal added asection dedicated to the introduction of cases where QC had been applied as well as thelatest status of TQC activity.
Secondly, from 1971, he continued to be chairperson of ISO/TC 69, a working
group, to study applications of statistical methods, in the Japanese Standards
Association. He assigned relevant experts to six subcommittees under TC 69 in order tomaintain the accuracy and consistency of JIS of Japan to International Standards. The
number of reference materials grew to surpass 1,600 in all. Professor Ishikawa had anencyclopedic memory of these documents, saying “Japan proposed this matter just three
years ago,” while examining a new proposal. He dispatched younger experts to foster
their growth to European countries, where annual conferences were held. Professor
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Ishikawa played a greater role that any ordinary person could do.
Finally, he served as chairman of the so-called QCG, a friendship golf competition
among executives of the Deming Prize winning companies and members of the Deming
Application Prize subcommittee. The competition was held seven times a year.
Professor Ishikawa was personally involved in recording, organizing and rating eachmember’s golf handicap, all by himself, where his “record keeping mania” became
apparent. As he said, ‘Participation is what counts at this QCG.’ He did not scrutinizescores but he made new rules so that everyone could become a champion even just oncein several years, by adjusting handicaps such lowering one’s handicap by 20 percent if
he won this time, or increasing substantially when another played all games in a year.
Consequently, it became the norm to accept players who had a handicap over 40.
The professor hit a hole-in-one in this competition; nobody has before or since. We
created the “Ishikawa Cup” to commemorate him in 1990, so that his name will remain.
(See Section 5.1)
(Trustee and Professor, Management Science,
Faculty of Engineering Division, Science University of Tokyo)

11.3

The International Academy for Quality: Leadership of Quality Control in
the WorldProfessor Kaoru Ishikawa, always paying attention to movements in overseas inaddition to the domestic ones, made his positive and appropriate activities. This section
is devoted to portray his activities to deal with International Academy for Quality (ISQ).
IAQ was founded in 1972. Quality control had been promoted by regions of Asia,
America and Europe and working institutions at each region, JUSE, ASQC and EOQC,
respectively as representing organizations of each region. However it started in the late1960s to try to set up a global organization to cover all those institutions where themembership should be given to individuals proved by a certain procedures stipulated byits own by-laws. A committee of six persons including Dr. Ishikawa was the driving
force to inaugurate IAQ.

†

ASQC

Dr. Armand V. Feigenbaum (U.S.A.)
Mr. E. Jack Lancaster (U.S.A) † 24 June 1980†

EOQC

Mr. Frank Nixon (U.K.)† expresses the date of one’s death.
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JUSE

Mr. Georges Borel (France) † 29 September 1982
Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa (Japan) † 16 April 1989
Dr. Masao Kogure (Japan)

IAQ was established for the purpose of “using of world-wide resource persons forrealization of mutual understanding and cooperative spirit at both domestic andinternational levels, toward contribution in constructing basic idea, theory and practices
to achieve quality of products and services by promotion of more studies.” For realizing
its purpose, IAQ is conducting the following activities:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Exchange of technical information
Domestic/international collaboration
Research and development projects
Publishing

Professor Ishikawa devoted himself not only to these activities but also to increase
the membership in Japan. As of writing this manuscript, total members of IAQ is over
60 people from some 25 countries included seven members from Japanese membershipranked as the second after the U.S.A.
IAQ’s leadership consists of board of trustees with a chairman, president and noless than three trustees and its executive committee with president, no more than fivevice-presidents and a secretary general with three-year term for all position holders.
Professor Ishikawa, then, served the President (1981–83) and Chairman (1984–86), allin an energetic manner and he became its Academician Emeritus in 1987.
(Yoshio Kondo)

11.4

International Conference on Quality Control
The world’s very first international conference on Quality Control was originallyplanned to be held in the autumn of 1965, a year after the Tokyo Olympic Games.
However, it was too soon and it was not possible to get the consensus of all stakeholders,furthermore the plan was postponed due to illness of Mr. Kenichi Koyanagi, the firstmanaging director of JUSE, who was an advocate and power source of the conference.
The original plans were cancelled; we dispatched our message to domestic and world
stakeholders that the plan would be postponed. We received many responses to thismessage and we received a lot of replies saying “regret” and “encouragement” as301

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represented by the message saying “We regret to lose a chance to visit Japan, but westrongly urge you to convene the conference as soon as possible.”
JUSE, then, organized “The Second Quality Control Overseas Study Team” (See
Section 11.1 (2)) with Professor Kaoru Ishikawa as the leader in a hasty manner, anddispatched it to the U.S. from which we had received the largest number of messages ofregret. Professor Ishikawa reported back that “a sudden rise in momentum to holdinternational conferences on quality control, made a joint sessions between theAmerican Society for Quality Control (ASQC) and the European Organization for
Quality Control (EOQC) in New York from June 1 to 3, and in Stockholm from June 6
to 9, 1966, by changing their original annual conventions respectively. They asked forJapan’s cooperation at the events.” He also reported that “I found a persistent wish tovisit Japan, among the relevant officials which calls for early execution of Tokyo
Conference.”
His report caused us to decide to organize a conference in Tokyo, three years after
the New York-Stockholm Conferences in 1966. Professor Ishikawa, on our behalf, wasto announce the schedule publicly, at the Stockholm conference.
Professor Ishikawa made his speech to officially propose the Tokyo Conferenceplans and to invite relevant people to it, at the opening session of the Stockholm
Conference on 9 June 1966. His message was as follows; its impressive nature
memorability by many attendants at the venue is still poignant: “‘Seeing is believing,’ asthis proverb says you are advised to join the Tokyo Conference, to watch Japan’s
practice of quality control including QC Circle activity. Since Japan has a total of 14
participants at this Stockholm conference, I urge each country to dispatch 14 people to
the Tokyo conference, respectively.”
The conference in Tokyo became the first international forum called International
Conference on Quality Control 1969 Tokyo or ICQC 1969 Tokyo, in short, with itstheme of “World Prosperity through Quality.” Upon the success of the conference,
ASQC, EOQC and JUSE decided to organize the following conferences by region:
America, Europe and Japan, every three years. The following are the venues andthemes:
1972
1975
1978
1981

Washington DC, USA; “The Consumer—An International Quality
Concern”
Venice, Italy; “The New Frontiers in Quality and Reliability of Products
and Service”
Tokyo, Japan; “International Cooperation to Solve Quality Problems”
San Francisco, USA; “Quality: A Prerequisite to Survival”
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1984
1987
1990
1993

Brighton, UK; (No specific theme)
Tokyo, Japan; “Quality First—Again and Ever”
San Francisco, USA; “Total Quality, An international Imperative”
Helsinki, Finland (planned)

These international conferences have become “holy places” to deepen associationand friendship, as well as to exchange information among all those involved in quality
control, in every country. In the above listing, the theme of each conference represents amatter of concern at that year and the host country’s strength. I also notice the shift of
the times in them. Professor Ishikawa was enthusiastic to choose each theme. Not onlyin Japanese, but he repeated to brush up the wording of theme in English to reach thefinal, well-polished selection. He was present at each conference; as the head of theexecutive committee when Tokyo hosted, and as Japan’s representative at conferences
elsewhere. Thus, Professor Ishikawa dedicated himself to the internationalization ofquality by his own leadership.
(Junji Noguchi)

Names signed on a big flag at ICQC ’69 – Tokyo by Participants (a collectionof Mr. Masumasa Imaizumi)
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11.5International Cooperation(1)

Cooperation through the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS)

The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) is a public interest
organization founded in 1959 for the purpose of hosting and training industrial
engineers and technical personnel from overseas countries, to serve for the promotion ofinternational economic cooperation and to lead mutual economic progress as well as
friendly relations.
When a training course named “Promotion of Export Industries of Developing
Countries,” in 1974 organized by the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO) and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of
Japan and implemented by AOTS, was established AOTS formally invited Professor
Kaoru Ishikawa. Later the name of this training course was changed to “Quality
Improvement of Industrial Products” in 1977 to focus on the quality issues to this date.
AOTS asked Professor Ishikawa to serve as chief lecturer of these training courses foreach year until he passed away. In late 1970s, when there was a conflict of views
between AOTS and an officer-in-charge at UNIDO’s Vienna Head Office, we faced
serious difficulties to continue the training. We asked Professor Ishikawa to visit Vienna
for giving his advice to our counterpart at UNIDO.
Consequently, the operation of relevant training project became very smooth.
Incidentally, we heard that visit to UNIDO Head Office had great impact on otherquality control-related training projects by this UN organization. In 1986, as the total
number of attendees in all these courses surpassed the mark of 100, we organized afollow-up workshop in Malaysia and Professor Ishikawa was pleased to join the session
all the way from Tokyo, just for the purpose of our event.
Besides these training seminars, AOTS also invited Professor Ishikawa to work as
a resource speaker in various training projects including as the chief lecturer at
six-week-long “QC Training Courses” for Chinese managers/engineers (September
1980–March 1986) organized with the support of Japan-China Economic Association at
the request of China’s Enterprise Management Association; as lecturer at “UNIDO
Production Management Training Courses for Mechanical Engineering-related
Manufacturing” (September 1970 to December 1978) as well as “AOTS Quality
Control Training Courses” (June 1982 till his last day).

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Professor Ishikawa delivered his commemorative lecture at the 1st World
Convention of AOTS Alumni Societies in Tokyo. (March 1986)

Professor Kaoru Ishikawa served on the board of AOTS from 1985 and dedicatedhimself to enrich and promote economic and technical cooperation of Japan through
AOTS operations.
(Ms. Hiroko Yamada, AOTS)

Dr. Ishikawa and I
Nagaaki Yamamoto
When did I meet him for the first time? I am not sure if it was in Vienna or Tokyo.
I still remember when the Professor visited UNIDO in Vienna where I was working for
facilitation of quality control training project implemented by AOTS; yes, it was whengeneral assembly of ISI was convened in Geneva, and he met with relevant specialized
section of UNIDO to explain the features of Japanese Total Quality Control. It was
September of 1979.
Even though I was not directly in charge of that specialist team, I arranged his
meeting at the request of Japanese Embassy as prominent Professor Ishikawa wascoming to Vienna. My wife and I, as I recall, had dinner with him. I asked “what do you
prefer meat or fish, sir?” then he replied “I like fish.” Then we took him to Lind Meyer
restaurant located by the river Danube specializing fish menu. I recommended whitefish
caught in the Danube and white wine. Professor Ishikawa was very pleased to enjoy the305PART III Accomplishments of Prof. Kaoru Ishikawa

dish and drink, saying “As the specialists now understand better, AOTS can operate theseminar well from this time.” After this pleasant evening at the restaurant, I remember I
had seen him off back to his hotel. His visit intended to convince a particular UNIDO
staff to understand importance and effectiveness of TQC. This episode represents
compassionate and sincere character.
After I returned to AOTS in 1983, and we owed the professor so much. It’s
including a commemorative lecture at the first AOTS Alumni Representative
Conference held in 1986 at Tokyo. His remarks impressed the attendants deeply. Thenin November 2nd, 1989 when 30th anniversary of the foundation of AOTS at
KEIDANREN Hall, Tokyo, AOTS gave a small present as a token of our appreciation to
his wife on behalf of Professor Ishikawa who was awarded for his special service overlong years after his death. I felt sad but it was a solace for me to express our sincere
gratitude to her. His compassionate and sincere character is still a valuable mark for me.
By writing this essay, I think of him and praying for him.
(Senior Managing Director, AOTS)A Great Missionary of QC
Ms. Hiroko Yamada
These days, the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS), where I
work for, is getting to be known as educational institute on quality control in English forpeople from overseas countries, though much less than JUSE, the originator.
Ex-participants of QC training courses by AOTS are very active in various fields ofdeveloping countries where AOTS focuses on.
Recalling those initial days, I must admit that we owed very much to Professor
Ishikawa for AOTS to grow up to today’s shape. In 1974, on the request of United
Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), AOTS was about to launch a
new training course for promotion of export industries. The first implementation was
not as effective as we expected, because we were doing trials and errors. While
finalizing the plan for second course, we visited JUSE in Sendagaya, Tokyo to meet
Professor Ishikawa and requested his cooperation, as we were so desperate for any good
help. Smoking as usual, the professor simply told us “Understood. Now my disciple
named Noriaki Kano is in Iran for teaching QC. When he would come back, I would ask
him to help you across the board.”
This very first encounter with him was about to change the entire training
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operations of AOTS. Professor Ishikawa was kind enough to introduce other experts andcompanies in close relations with him one after another. Thanks to their help, AOTS
was empowered to organize several QC training courses regularly. I still remember thatold small JUSE office floor where I met him. Back in those days, I never imagined that
this room was the general headquarters of QC and that Dr. Ishikawa was well known
expert in the world.
I had to take off my hat to his commitment shown when we launched different
quality control training for Chinese people which lasted from 1980 to 1986. He told us“We do not train just QC technical staffs at plants. We should nurture leaders in China’s
QC for the next generation.” He encouraged and scolded us the secretariat as we tended
to choose easy ways. For the long duration of six months, Professor Ishikawa took
initiative in formulating training daily schedule, arranging resource speakers and evenfinding sponsor companies for the trainees.
Professor Ishikawa was truly treating everyone in fair manner: us, theinexperienced staff, and the trainees from various countries and regions of the world. I
had never seen him showing off his fame and achievement. The news of Dr. Ishikawa’s
sudden death was announced in the magazine of AOTS to over 30,000 ex-trainees in theworld. Then, AOTS received an avalanche of condolence messages.
His conviction and passion for the spread of QC deserves a title of a great
missionary of QC. The number of those fortunate ex-trainees who could be taught
directly by Professor Ishikawa amounts to over 700. He planted seeds. They are now
scattered around the world and growing very steadily.
(Manager, Overseas Training, Overseas Operation Division at AOTS)(2)Cooperation through Asian Productivity Organization

Asian Productivity Organization (APO) was established in May 1961 based on
government-to-government agreements. It is a region-based international organization
to carry out human resource development including management and technical training
for economic development with enhancement of productivity in the region. APO chosequality control as a means to improve productivity and it always requested advice andguidance of Professor Ishikawa for planning of the relevant projects. His cooperation to
APO can be described as follows:
1. APO organized a symposium on quality control in Tokyo from 3rd to 11th.
August 1964. Professor Ishikawa planned this symposium, delivered his
special lecture “Role of Statistical Method in Quality Control,” and served as a307

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2.

3.

4.

leader at the panel discussion on “Quality Control Education Programs inJapan.” In those days, since reference materials in English were not well
prepared, he ordered two graduate students in Ishikawa Laboratory of the
University of Tokyo: Mr. Tomoyoshi Takematsu and Mr. Noriaki Kano, totranslate Japanese material to English. Professor Ishikawa used that translated
text in his lecture. This symposium was the first international conference inAsia to focus on quality control.
Professor Ishikawa, with Dr. Noriaki Kano, was sent to Iran in April 1978 fororganizing a QC seminar and giving advice to local enterprises as APO experts.
In Tehran, he served as a leader at top management seminar while advising the
Iranian government on industrial standardization and national promotion ofquality control.
He published two books, Guide to Quality Control (1974) and Quality Control
Circles at Work (1984) as APO publications. The former, in particular, became
a popular English title with over 120,000 copies sold since the first print in1974 and translated later to Spanish, French, Italian, Indonesian, Dutch
Hebrew and Portuguese. Besides, he helped APO to prepare five volumes ofslide material on quality control.
Professor Ishikawa delivered his special lecture at the first “TQC training
course” with 23 participants from 12 countries in 1986.
(Secretariat, Asian Productivity Organization)

A Tribute to Dr. Ishikawa
S. Nazim Zaidi
The association of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) with the late Dr.
Kaoru Ishikawa was spread over fifteen years. It started in early 1970s when the APO
decided to translate the JUSE book Genba no QC Shuho (ed. Ishikawa)†. No one at the
APO or Dr. Ishikawa himself ever realized at that time that we were embarking on an
epoch-making decision. Epoch-making, because it turned the tide of translating QC
materials from English into Japanese, it generated the keen foreign interest in knowing
about various practices of Japanese industry and above all it made Dr. Ishikawa theundisputed authority on the quality control in the western world. Needless to say that†

Guide to Quality Control (1st ed. 1974)
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the Guide to Quality Control is still the unbeaten bestseller on the subject with current
sale of around 30,000 copies annually with 70 percent being sold in the United States.
Many other titles with his name are also selling well in all parts of the world.
It was around early 1980s that Dr. Ishikawa became known as the QC expert in thewestern world and from that time onward his visitors mostly comprised of businessmen,
industrialists, productivity practitioners, consultants and academicians from the Statesand European countries who were visiting Japan to know more on Japanese practices.
Dr. Ishikawa had by that time taken over as the President of Musashi Institute ofTechnology in Tokyo and the foreign visitors found him a most willing person to talk on
QC and QCC.
I had the privilege of meeting him for over a dozen times. It was sometimes related
to matters pertaining to the books on Guide to Quality Control and QCC at work and attimes asking questions on various aspects of QC, and I had always found him a warm,
open-minded and hospitable person.
He was dedicated to the QC cause and anyone wishing to talk on the subject, hewould be most willing to receive him. Many Asian countries were keen to invite him on
QCC conventions, and Dr. Ishikawa would either attend or send a message.

At the reception for the 25th anniversary of APO foundation with thethen Chief of Secretariat Yokota (May 1986)

He personified in himself the basic concepts behind QC Circle activities which hehad been propounding in his writings. He firmly believed that QCC gives respect tohumanity by allowing worker to do his work on his own way and draws out anddevelops the infinite potential of the worker. When Dr. Ishikawa was talking to his
visitor, one could see clearly his belief in humanity writ large on his facial expression.
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He will long be remembered not only as an authority on quality control but as a person
full of warmth, kindness, hospitality, and understanding for other points of view.
(Public affair manager, Asian Productivity Organization (APO))(3)

Cooperation through the Japan-China Economic Association

In November 1978, a working group to deal with management of businesscorporations within the Japan-China Economic Association was established andProfessor Kaoru Ishikawa assumed responsibility as its first group leader and offered his
advice until his death. During those years, the working group collaborated with China
National Economic Committee and its affiliates, China Enterprise Control Association,
and China Quality Control Association, guided and advised for better business
management, and improvement of quality control in China. To be specific, a total of 134
executives were invited to Japan to undertake six-month advanced training every year
between 1980 to 1986; Professor Ishikawa worked wholeheartedly not only as a lecturer
on the present status of QC in Japan in each program but also as a commentator andmentor at sessions where the trainees made their presentations. These Chinese
executives who visited Japan became senior managers in manufacturing industries in
China after the training. His attitude and behavior were highly appreciated by all those
relevant Chinese institutions. China Quality Control Association gave Professor
Ishikawa a title of honorary advisor. In 1983, Professor Ishikawa visited China for two
weeks when he talked to senior leadership team of Chinese government in economic
field with lectured on quality control and business counseling, and he gave great
contribution for the enhancement of quality control in China.

At Beijing Engines, with Mr. Kawai, Chairman of Komatsu Ltd. (1979)
310