Aoyama Gakuin University/Graduate school of Science and Engineering - Japan
Author Profile
ORCID
🎓 Early academic pursuits
Dr. Kakuro Amasaka began his academic journey with a bachelor of engineering degree from hachinohe national college of technology, japan, in 1968. later, his passion for precision and quality led him to earn a doctor of engineering degree from hiroshima university in 1997, specializing in precision mechanical and system engineering, statistics, and quality control. his early commitment to scientific rigor and systems thinking laid the foundation for his significant influence on production engineering and power electronics applications.
🏢 Professional endeavors
Dr. Amasaka's illustrious career started at toyota motor corporation in 1968. over nearly three decades, he held diverse roles such as engineer and manager across production engineering, quality assurance, overseas engineering, manufacturing, and total quality management (tqm) promotion divisions. from 1998 to 2000, he served as general manager of the tqm promotion division. in 2000, he transitioned to academia as a professor at aoyama gakuin university's college and graduate school of science and engineering in tokyo, and has been professor emeritus since 2016.
🔬 Contributions and research focus
Dr. Amasaka has contributed significantly to the advancement of modern manufacturing principles. he developed new paradigms such as science sqc (statistical quality control), science tqm, new jit (just-in-time), and the new manufacturing theory, all grounded in deep customer science principles. his research also bridges kansei engineering, numerical simulation, cae, product r&d, and Production Engineering global supply chain management. in his work, innovations in power electronics have been integrated into quality and production system modeling, enhancing precision and efficiency in both theory and practice.
🌍 Impact and influence
His impact extends globally through academic societies and leadership roles. he has been a key figure in organizations like the japanese society for quality control, production and operations management society (poms), and european operations management association (euroma). notably, he served as vice chairman and later president of the japanese operations management Production Engineering and strategy association. his influence in power electronics has informed control systems development and real-time simulation in advanced quality frameworks worldwide.
🏅 Academic citations and honors
Dr. Amasaka’s scholarly output includes numerous influential papers and technical innovations. he has received 72 patents related to production systems and quality control technologies. notable awards include the aichi invention encouragement prize (1991), multiple nikkei quality control literature prizes, statistical quality control prize (1976), and the higashi kuninomiya Production Engineering culture and peace prizes. additionally, he received the albert nelson marquis achievement award (2017) and the best researcher award (2022) from sciencefather, further solidifying his legacy.
🌱 Legacy and future contributions
Dr. Amasaka’s work has created a lasting framework for future engineers and researchers to follow. his integration of systems thinking, quality engineering, and customer-centric design continues to guide modern manufacturing disciplines. the principles he introduced, especially within science tqm and science sqc, remain essential in optimizing not only traditional production systems but also in emerging areas such as sustainable engineering and power electronics-enabled smart manufacturing. as a mentor, researcher, and innovator, he continues to shape the academic and industrial landscapes.
Notable Publications
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Title: Revolutionary Automobile Production Systems for Optimal Quality, Efficiency, and Cost
Author: Kakuro Amasaka
Journal/Publisher: Book published by IGI Global
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Title: Examining a New Automobile Global Manufacturing System
Author: Kakuro Amasaka
Journal/Publisher: Book published by IGI Global