Kai·zen (改善) is Japanese for 'improvement.'
A Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices, personal efficiency, etc.
In the Japanese language the word Kaizen is derived from two Kanji, the first ‘Kai’ 改, meaning ‘change,’ and the second ‘zen’ 善, meaning ‘good.’ Hence the literal meaning of the word being ‘change for the better’ i.e. improvement.
改善 is a method or business tool for improvement. It could be in a workshop / group work format, sometimes referred to as Kaizen workshops or ‘blitz Kaizen,’ or an individual’s initiative to improve herself.
Kaizen symbolizes continuous improvement in small, sometimes referred to as ‘baby,’ steps.