KANBAN JAPANESE SHOP SIGN

The Taisho Period dates from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926 and coincides with the reign of Emperor Taisho of Japan for whom the period is named. A "kanban" is a sign board or billboard. In the modern era, kanban has gone to to mean a "just-in-time" or lean manufacturing system. This style of planning was developed by Toyota engineer Taiichi Ohno to promote efficiencies in manufacturing and inventory.