Who invented kaizen?

I learned in my management class that Kaizen was invented in the United States around the time of, or just before World War II. However, it never caught on in the U.S. Once U.S. Management experts went to Japan after WWII, they brought this management concept with them. Although it never caught on in the U.S., the Japanese incorporated this theory into their own management systems.

I also learned this was one of the factors that contributed to the higher quality of Japanese cars vs. U.S. cars in the 1970's.