About the Cover Illustration

The figure on the cover of Kanban in Action is Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543 – 1616), the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled from the Battle of Sekighara in 1600 until the Meji Restoration in 1868. A shogun was the military leader in feudal Japan, and because of the power concentrated in his hands, he was the de facto leader of Japan, in place of the nominal head of state, the mikado or emperor. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but remained in power until his death in 1616. He claimed to have taken part in over 90 battles during his lifetime, as either a warrior or a general. He had a number of qualities that enabled him to stay in power and wield authority—he was both careful and bold—at the right times and in the right places. Calculating and subtle, he switched alliances when he thought he would benefit from the change.

We would like to share one of Ieyasu’s recorded quotes with our readers, a quote that is applicable to both our personal and professional lives: “Life is like unto a long journey with a heavy burden. Let thy step be slow and steady, that thou stumble not. ... Find fault with thyself rather than with others.”