Shitsuke 躾

The fifth ’S’ of the 5S is Shituke. “Shitsuke” should be translated as discipline.

By the way, for some reason, in the English version of “Workplace Management,” by Taiichi Ohno, discipline disappears from the title of the chapter that talks about 5S. The original Japanese version has Shitsuke in the title.

According to Merriam-Webster, discipline is defined as follows;

1-a. control gained by enforcing obedience or order

b. behavior in accordance with rules: orderly conduct

c. SELF-CONTROL

2. PUNISHMENT

3. an activity that one engages in regularly to train or improve oneself

4. a subject that is taught: a field of study. also: an area or division of an activity or profession

5. a rule or system of rules governing conduct or activity

6. INSTRUCTION

"discipline." Merriam-Webster.com. 2026. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discipline (2 March 2026).

Now, let’s see the Japanese meaning.

1️⃣ Good manner

The symbol for “Shitsuke” is 【躾】. The left side represents the body. 【身】 The right side represents beauty. Together, this suggests someone who is polite or well-mannered. This symbol was created by the Japanese during the late samurai era, when manners became important. This is the meaning we use today.

2️⃣ Habit

Although the symbol was born with the Samurai, the word existed before. The original word was “Jitsuke,” meaning “habit.” This word comes from Buddhism and typically refers to habits stemming from “worldly desires.” The idea of Buddhism is to control the “worldly desires.” But even after controlling the desires, some habits remain. Those habits were called the “Jitsuke.” The original word represented bad habits.

But the word’s negative connotations have faded, and today “Shitsuke” signifies the formation of good habits.

3️⃣ Develop

There are two additional meanings of ‘Shitsuke.’

The first is that baste is Shitsuke. Baste means ‘to sew with long, loose stitches in order to hold something in place temporarily.’

Another meaning is that, in rice farming, planting the seedlings in the field is called Shitsuke.

Both are understood as steps toward self-discipline. This is why ‘Shitsuke’ is frequently discussed in early childhood education. Because of the symbol associated with Samurai life, it had a sense of strict training. But today, we have learned the negative side of harshness. We still need ‘Shitsuke’, so it is used in a more friendly manner.

The founder of Panasonic, Konosuke Matsushita, left several interesting quotes about ‘Shitsuke.’

“The objective of Shitsuke is not to make someone constricted, but to make someone happy.”

“Shitsuke is support.” (The word he used for ‘support’ is a wood that we use to support the tree to grow in the right direction.)

Matsushita does not deny the need for strictness in Shitsuke. But he is not asking for strict coaching toward others. The coach needs to be stricter with themselves about what is important for humans. His wisdom aligns with what I was taught. Shitsuke is about the manager asking the right questions. The manager must act according to the highest standard.

The fifth ’S’ of 5S is Shitsuke, which means discipline. But this is not about punishment or instruction. It is about creating good habits and internalizing norms. This is developed by managers with the highest level of self-discipline, who ask questions and coach people.

Links;

5S

History of 5S