'Made in Japan' Secrets in 7 Minutes On the Shinkansen Platform

Once, Japanese products like Panasonic, Toshiba, and Canon captured the hearts of consumers not only in Japan but around the world with their price and quality, sweeping the global market. The diligence of the Japanese people, their passion for work, and their loyalty to the companies they belonged to were the driving forces behind the rise of Japanese enterprises that established the Made in Japan brand. However, with the collapse of the bubble economy in the 1990s, Japan's economic power fell from the world's second-largest economy to fourth place.

Since then, companies and the way their employees work have changed significantly. Japan, once hailed as a nation of 100 million middle-class citizens in the 1970s, has now become a society marked by significant inequality. Amidst this decline, an astonishing event, previously unthinkable, occurred in Japan in 2025.

On February 27, 2025, a tragic accident occurred in a commercial building in Kobe City. An elevator door opened, but the car itself had not arrived. Unaware of this, a person stepped forward and fell to their death. The elevator was manufactured and maintained by a top company in the industry.

Ten months after the incident, authorities announced they were investigating whether it resulted from an employee violating operational manuals and leaving safety devices disabled.　

Abroad, Three Decades Earlier

During the 1990s, when I was stationed in Panama, Central America, I was startled by things I had never experienced before in Japan. For instance, it occasionally happened at my office building or the apartment where I lived that the elevator doors would open, but the elevator car itself hadn't arrived. There were times when I stepped into an elevator only to find it plunging straight down to the bottom floor.

This was commonplace in Panama at the time and didn't even make the news. So, I assumed this was something unique to Panama, and never dreamed such a thing could happen in my own country.

Alongside the elevator accident, another incident shocked the Japanese public in December 2025, this time in Tokyo. Two people died after being trapped inside a sauna when the door failed to open. Reports said that the power supply to the control panel receiving signals from the sauna room's emergency button was not turned on.

Many questions arose. Were regular inspections not conducted? Was there no emergency response manual? Both accidents represent previously unthinkable incidents.

In the past, Japanese companies had risk management systems that were almost overly comprehensive. When risk events occurred, they were thoroughly prepared to minimize damage. Now, one worries, where has the diligence and loyalty to one's company gone? What about the professionalism of the Japanese people, who have built world-class products?

On the Tokyo Station Platform

Surprisingly, the place that dispels this worry is found in an unexpected spot. There, in a place where one normally pays little attention, one can actually catch glimpses of the Japanese people's meticulousness, diligence, and teamwork. That place is the platform at Tokyo Station where the Shinkansen trains arrive and depart.

*Reisuke Ishida, President of Japanese National Railways, rings the departure bell at the opening ceremony of the Tokaido Shinkansen. October 1, 1964, at Tokyo Station.*

In Japan, it is exceptionally important for public transportation, like buses and trains, to arrive on time and depart according to schedule. For instance, if a train is even one minute late, apologies are repeatedly announced over the intercom.

This scene has remained unchanged from the Showa era (1926-1989) to the present day. However, recently, while apology announcements still occur, both train staff and passengers seem less on edge about delays of a minute or two. It feels like the Japanese national character, which once tolerated no divergence, has become more relaxed.

Watching the arrival and departure of trains on the Shinkansen platform at Tokyo Station, one is overwhelmed by a sight that truly embodies the Japanese spirit. It is the lightning efficiency of the professionals cleaning the train interior in the short time between arrival and departure. For them, the seven minutes between a Shinkansen train arriving, passengers disembarking, and new passengers boarding the same train is a decisive battle. In that short time, they manage to clean every space inside the train, from the seats to the restrooms. This feat is called the "Seven-Minute Miracle."

The 'Seven Minute Miracle'

The task falls to JR East Techno Heart TESSEI Co, Ltd ('TESSEI'). As the name suggests, the company is a subsidiary of JR East, responsible for cleaning Shinkansen trains. It's astonishing to see them finish their work within seven minutes. They then dash down the stairs to the next platform, where another Shinkansen train is arriving.

A TESSEI team at work at Tokyo Station. (Photos ©Yoshifumi Fukuzawa)

TESSEI's highly efficient Shinkansen train cleaning process is the result of years of dedicated effort by the company. Particularly, the new president appointed in 2005 turned around management, which had struggled to improve service.

Previously, the public viewed train cleaning duties with disdain. It was one of those jobs young people didn't want to do, and the unstable workforce consisted mostly of older employees. This organization was transformed into a vibrant workplace where employees now work diligently for the company and its passengers. Their wages are by no means high. In fact, they tend to be below average. Yet their motivation to work is strong.

In 2015, Harvard Business School developed a case study titled "Trouble at Tessei" as an example of corporate revitalization. In 2015, the author used the freshly created original material in a university class he was teaching at the time, engaging in repeated discussions with students.

It was a story that hadn't received much attention in Japan. Even students in my class, who were regular Shinkansen riders, didn't know how quickly and efficiently the trains were cleaned. They simply rode the trains without ever thinking about it. After reading this case study, the students gained newfound respect for TESSEI employees' loyalty to the company, their customer-first approach to work, and the organizational culture that maintained discipline while being employee-friendly.

Essence of Japanese Management

Looking back, this is the very essence of Japanese management — something many Japanese companies have lost in recent years.

*Tokaido Shinkansen celebrates its 60th Anniversary on October 1, 2024, at Tokyo Station. (©Sankei by Kanata Iwasaki).*

Since then, the excellence of Shinkansen cleaning operations has been featured in the media. The daily cleaning of Shinkansen trains by TESSEI employees continues to this day, making steady progress and never losing its shine.

Not just on the Shinkansen, but generally, train passengers don't pay much attention to how clean the cars are. They take it for granted that they'll be spotless. Yet, standing on a Shinkansen platform, you can observe a quintessentially Japanese drama unfold in the brief time between a train's arrival and departure.

Riding the Shinkansen departing from Tokyo Station allows you to experience the ride quality of Japan's cutting-edge technology. But on the platform where Shinkansen trains briefly stop, you can witness a drama performed by professional cleaners who embody the Japanese spirit.