"We believe in science
(not Houdini)."
- About Yakult
- Yakult Company Information
Our mission
The global corporate philosophy of the Yakult Group is:
"We contribute to the health and happiness of people around the world through the pursuit of excellence in life sciences in general and our research and experience in microorganisms in particular."
Yakult around the world
Yakult began its journey in Japan, and has since grown across 40 countries and regions across the world, with more than 111,000 people now working with the organisation.
The Yakult Lady
The Yakult Lady performs an important role, delivering Yakult products door-to-door every day, from rural areas to high-rise buildings in the city. Interestingly, more than 50% of Yakult products in Japan are distributed by Yakult Ladies.
The Yakult Lady system started in 1963 and the company currently employs over 80,000 Yakult Ladies worldwide, with more than 35,000 in Japan alone.
In the UK, Yakult was launched in 1996, with the addition of Yakult Light in 2002. Yakult was introduced in Ireland in 2004. At present, Yakult is available in 14 countries throughout Europe.
Find out more by watching Yakult Lady Yukie's story.
Science and research
Our clever scientists have been involved in the research, development and manufacturing of a wide range of products such as pharmaceutical goods, foods and skin care products, many incorporating L. casei Shirota.
Sponsorships
Internationally, since 1970, Yakult have sponsored the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, a professional baseball team who compete in Japan.
In addition, since 2005 Yakult has been an official partner of the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) World Championships and the FINA World Swimming Championships.
In the UK we focus our sponsorship activities on our key charity partners:
Guts UK
Guts UK charity (formerly Core): a national charity that fights all diseases that affect the gut, liver or pancreas – collectively known as ‘digestive diseases’. They provide evidence-based information to patients, support important medical research, and work to raise awareness of these conditions.
IBS Network
The IBS Network is the national charity supporting people living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Their mission is to provide information, advice and support and to work alongside health care professionals to facilitate self-care.
Neither Guts UK nor The IBS Network endorses any specific commercial or pharmaceutical products.
In addition, Yakult sponsors…
University of East Anglia
Yakult is proud to support the Third lecture series - a monthly lecture series run by the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures. Lectures range from the changing habits of Green tea to Black tea in the US and UK and the impact on tea drinking in Japan; to Japanese Gardens to find out more visit www.sainsbury-institute.org The Sainsbury Institute was founded in 1999 to promote knowledge and understanding of Japanese arts and cultures. Now in its second decade, the Institute continues to be a leader in the study of Japanese arts and cultures from the past to the present in the UK, Europe and globally.
Science awards
In the UK, Yakult sponsors a range of awards for students at universities and institutes across the country studying or conducting research in subjects relevant to probiotics, such as nutrition, dietetics, nursing and microbiology.
We hope that these awards will encourage the next generation of scientists, and who knows, it might just help uncover the next Dr Shirota!
For more information please contact science@yakult.co.uk
