Kanban translated literally: "Kan" means visual, and "ban" means card or board.

看板(Kanban)，逐字来看就是：“看(Kan)”意味着可视化，“板(ban)”意味着卡或者板。

youdao

While he was health minister last year, the populist Naoto Kan announced that the Health and Welfare Ministry was in the process of lifting the ban on oral contraceptives.

ECONOMIST: Japan