ASAHI FORGE CORPORATION is a forging company that began operations in 1938 in Nagoya, Japan. They mainly produce bearings and automotive parts. They have five plants within Japan, and in 2002 they began overseas expansion in the United States, now expanding to Indonesia. They spent three years starting in 2015 relocating from their old Gifu plant to move to their newest plant in Toki, Gifu.
ASAHI FORGE’s corporate philosophy is: “Through manufacturing, we contribute to society, and by earning the trust of our customers, it comes back as company growth.” They are always thinking about making their customers happy. Their manufacturing starts with simply giving things a try, and the happiness that comes from succeeding comes first. Whether or not they make money from it comes second. That’s the ASAHI FORGE way of thinking.

At first, many employees were unfamiliar with 3S5T, making implementation difficult. Plant Manager Mr. Seiichi Asahi realized that when enacting activities, it is most important to first clarify why something is being done, and then have the employees understand that. As a result, now the employees suggest improvements on their own and give each other advice. This is evidence that this way of thinking is successfully spreading through the company. ASAHI FORGE receives support from Sinto through the increased capabilities of their shot blasting for a system that can run unmanned 24/7. In the future, they hope to see the development of a machine with less noise that further reduces the occurrence of dents.
*3S5T is a variation on 3S (Sort, Straighten, Sweep) that further clarifies ideals for standardization in the workplace.