Founder
Dr. Minoru Shirota
Dr. Minoru Shirota is a microbiologist who is also the founder of the company Yakult Honsha. At that time, in the area where young Minoru Shirota Lived, diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhu which claimed lives. This condition made young Minoru Shirota enthusiastic about pursuing education and successfully completed it by earning a Doctor’s degree at Kyoto University in 1925. Dr. Minoru Shirota has a dream to make people healthier, so he concentrates on doing research on bacteria that live in the human intestine. This bacteria was later named L. casei Shirota strain (LcS)
Philosophy
Shirotaisme
We contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world by accelerating excellence in life sciences in general and research and experience especially in microorganisms. Health has always been something valuable for us. Therefore, the founder of Yakult company, Dr. Minoru Shirota, believes in the importance of prevention before illness and "a healthy intestine leads to a long life". He encourages propagating the health that everyone wants at affordable prices. This ideas is referred to as "Shirotaism" and be basic for Yakult's business activities around the world
