TL;DR: Raku is Toyota's approach to ergonomics–designing work so it's easier, safer, and less frustrating for people. It's a practical expression of respect for people and continuous improvement, showing how Lean performance gains often start by improving the work itself, not by pushing people harder.
I recently had the opportunity to tour the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky plant (TMMK) in Georgetown, Kentucky. It was my second visit to the plant on top of multiple visits to the TMMTX plant in San Antonio and numerous visits to Toyota plants in Japan.
What Is “Raku” at Toyota?
This was the first visit where I heard this word emphasized so many times:
Raku
Raku is a Japanese word that, according to the tour guide, translates to “comfort” or “ease.” Google Translate says it means “easy.”
Raku is one example of how Toyota approaches ergonomics as a core part of the Toyota Production System — not as a side initiative, but as an expression of respect for people.
Raku Devices: Making Work Easier and More Comfortable
I'd heard about the concept in previous tours, along with many examples. The guide often referred to “raku devices” that were installed to make work easier and more comfortable for the team members. Raku devices allow anybody to do certain jobs, “regardless of their strength,” the guide explained.
This video shows a “raku seat” assist device — although it appears to be from an Audi plant.
We could see the raku seat in use at TMMK, allowing a team member to slide into the vehicle to install parts. We saw other raku seats that allowed workers to comfortably work on the outside of the vehicle at an ergonomically proper height.
Kaizen in Action: A Team Member's Idea Becomes the Standard
The first raku seat was said to be inspired by a TMMK team member who had a bass boat with a moving, sliding seat. The team member made the kaizen suggestion to their team leader (and possibly higher up the management support chain).
It's said that they literally created an initial prototype from a bass boat seat as a way to test the idea.
The final version of this has been adopted as a standard at Toyota plants globally.
Here's a Facebook video of a raku seat from TMMK.
Raku as an Expression of Respect for People
The raku devices demonstrate Toyota's “respect for people” principle (a.k.a. respect for humanity).
It also demonstrates the core kaizen (continuous improvement) goal of making work easier and less frustrating.
It also shows how to improve work ergonomics — reducing injuries and harm to team members.
Automation That Supports People — Not Replaces Them
Beyond the mentions of raku, the tour guide repeatedly pointed out examples of using automation and robotic assists as “co-working” devices–not to replace workers, but to support them. When they have automated jobs (such as the paint shop or certain bolt tightening processes), they've done so because quality was better and/or safety was improved by eliminating a strenuous and/or repetitive job.
They certainly weren't trying to eliminate workers for the sake of cost-cutting or to create some sort of mythical “lights-out” factory, as GM and Tesla aimed to do in different decades, as I've written about before.
Why Raku Matters Beyond Ergonomics
Ultimately, raku embodies the principles of continuous improvement and respect for people–key tenets of the Toyota Production System. It's a reminder that small, thoughtful changes can lead to significant, lasting impact, not just for efficiency but for the well-being of those doing the work.
Raku is a simple word with a powerful message: when work is easier, safer, and more human, everything else improves. The devices we saw at TMMK weren't about automation or efficiency for its own sake–they were about caring for the people who do the work every day.
That's the heart of the Toyota Production System. And it's a reminder for all of us: continuous improvement is most sustainable when it starts with respect for people.
If you’re working to build a culture where people feel safe to speak up, solve problems, and improve every day, I’d be glad to help. Let’s talk about how to strengthen Psychological Safety and Continuous Improvement in your organization.
I enjoyed this post Mark! I thought the “raku devices” was an ingenious idea for Toyota Raku in order to foster a culture for both respect and continuous improvement. The raku seat clearly offers each member of the team to work in ease and comfort, which in the long run improves both the employee experience and operational efficiency. A question that came to mind when reading this post is how does Toyota Raku measure the impact of the improved ergonomics on both employee satisfaction and overall productivity?
Hi Ava – Thanks for reading and thanks for your question.
I’m not sure how Toyota would break out the specific benefits from the Raku devices. I think they realize it’s the right thing to do for the team members and organizational performance. So I’d guess they don’t about this in terms of ROI or other “impact.”
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[…] Toyota Raku: Respect for Folks, Consolation, Ease, & Ergonomics – Mark Graban shares his expertise to a Toyota plant that centered on raku–making work simpler, extra snug, and extra accessible for all crew members–reinforces its deep dedication to respect for folks. […]