Shirota-ism is the advocated philosophy of our founder, Dr. Minoru Shirota, a medical doctor from the Kyoto Imperial University.

He strongly believed in preventive medicine and embodied his philosophy with three core ideals:

emphasis is placed on preventing illness rather than treating them
strengthening our intestines with beneficial bacteria leads to a long healthy life
good health should be accessible to as many people as possible at an affordable price

These ideals are continued today as the guiding principles behind Yakult’s business.

Shirota-ism also encompasses the concepts of “sincerity”, “harmony among people”, “honesty and kindness”,  “caring enough to broaden acceptance” and “caring enough to make home deliveries” as fundamental aspect of our business activities.

In addition with Shirota-ism, we infuse our daily activities with our ‘Corporate Philosophy’ so that we can serve all our customers with positive energy and motivation to bring smiles and happiness to them.

Yakult's Global Corporate Philosophy:

We contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world through pursuit of excellence in life science in general and our research and experience in microorganisms in particular.