🗾 Japanese Journey
Step into Japan’s harmonious blend of tradition and innovation! Reflect like zen masters, fine-tune our skills like samurai, and bring continuous improvement (Kaizen) to our team’s journey.
Template Columns
🌸 Sakura Beginnings
Plant seeds of new ideas or practices we should start to cultivate growth, like cherry blossoms in spring.
Base column: Start⛩️ Temple Gates Closed
Share practices or habits we should respectfully leave behind on our path, like gatekeepers closing ancient shrines.
Base column: Stop🗻 Mount Fuji Milestones
Highlight strengths or actions worth continuing, like enduring traditions at the heart of Japanese culture.
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
The Japanese Journey retrospective invites teams to reflect with a blend of mindfulness, tradition, and continuous improvement by exploring what to start, stop, and continue through the lens of Japanese culture.
When to use this template
Use this template when your team needs a fresh perspective on improvement or after a sprint where cultural values like learning, respect, or innovation are especially relevant.
How to facilitate
Set the tone by introducing the Japanese Journey theme and briefly explain the meaning behind each column to encourage open, mindful reflection.
Invite each team member to add ideas to the Sakura Beginnings column, focusing on new practices, experiments, or growth areas.
Ask everyone to share habits and processes in the Temple Gates Closed column that are holding the team back and should be respectfully left behind.
Encourage the team to celebrate successes and enduring strengths by adding to the Mount Fuji Milestones column.
Facilitate discussion around each column, allowing space for clarification and deeper exploration as needed.
Prioritize and agree on concrete actions for the 'start' and 'stop' items as a team commitment to kaizen (continuous improvement).
Close with a short reflection, inviting everyone to share one ‘zen’ insight or intention for the next iteration.
Pro Tips
Use visual references or light cultural context about the Japanese elements to inspire deeper reflection, but keep explanations concise to maintain focus on team dialogue.
Encourage quieter team members to submit their reflections asynchronously before the meeting, then discuss together to ensure all voices are included.
Periodically rotate the facilitator role to let different team members bring their unique interpretation to the theme.
FAQ
Can we adapt the theme if team members are unfamiliar with Japanese culture?
Absolutely! The imagery is meant to inspire, not limit. Focus on the underlying retrospective questions; explain the cultural metaphors simply if needed.
How do we avoid spending too long on each column?
Timebox each section clearly, and use prompts or light facilitation to keep discussion moving if the group gets stuck.
What if the same 'stop' items come up every time?
Discuss what’s preventing change, involve the decision-makers if needed, and agree on one small, achievable action as a next step.
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective