JP/EN
Sustainability at Yakult

Creating a more
sustainable future.

Empowering wellness
for people and planet.

SHIROTA-ISM – HOW IT ALL BEGAN
The first bottle of Yakult was created by Dr. Minoru Shirota and his colleagues, in 1935. Yakult was born from Dr. Shirota’s three key ideas that we now know as Shirota-ism. First, the importance of preventive medicine. He emphasized preventing illness rather than treating it once it has developed. Second, the secret to a long life is a healthy intestinal tract as the intestines are where nutrients are absorbed. And finally, we should make Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota* (Yakult) accessible to as many people as possible.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Rooted in Shirota-ism, Yakult conducts its business under one binding 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.” We help people around the world lead a healthy and enjoyable life through gut health. Our business is to bring the results of beneficial bacterium research, by turning them into products, to people globally. Since the founding of the company, this idea and belief has not changed. In fact, it has been instilled in every employee. “We want to secure the health of people around the world.” Starting with Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota, we will contribute to resolving modern health issues through intestinal health.
OUR COMMITMENT
To fully commit to Shirota-ism and aiming at realizing our philosophy, we must not just focus on people’s health, but also the planet’s. We are committed to the belief that “In order for people to be healthy, everything around them must also be healthy.” That’s why we are dedicated to creating a more sustainable future for people and the planet.
Read on to learn more about the important environment and social issues we are committed to pursuing in our goal to create a better future for all.

*Classified as Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strain Shirota since April 2020

“THE GOAL OF THE YAKULT GROUP HAS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE, TO MAKE THE PLANET AND THE PEOPLE LIVING ON IT, HEALTHY AND HAPPY.”

At Yakult, we believe that in order for people to be healthy, everything around them must also be healthy. That’s because our health and that of the Earth are interwoven. And in the last few years, as climate change has progressed and human rights issues have come to the forefront, it’s more important than ever for us as a company to take measures toward becoming more sustainable.

But becoming sustainable is more than a trend for us. It’s a commitment. A commitment to improving every aspect of our business, so that it truly impacts the planet’s health, and yours. That’s why we have identified six of the most important environmental and social issues to focus on as we journey toward a more sustainable future: climate change, plastic containers and packaging, and water from an environmental standpoint, and innovation, value co-creation with communities, and supply chain management from a social issues perspective.

All of the measures we are implementing now will guide us to achieving our Yakult Group Global Vision of evolving into a healthcare company by the year 2030, and continuing to contribute to the health of people around the world.

We have set three goals to help us achieve this vision: “delivering good health to as many people as possible around the world,” “offering customers new value that matches their needs” and “realizing a society in which people and the planet co-exist.”

From our first day in business in 1935 until this very day, we’ve been committed to the contribution for the health of people. And that commitment has never floundered. But as the world has changed, so have our methods for it. We’re using innovative, state of the art approaches to maker our planet and our business practices sustainable. Because the goal of the Yakult Group has, and will always be, to make the planet and the people living on it, healthy and happy.

Hiroshi Narita
President and
Representative Director
INNOVATION
We will evolve into a healthcare company by further innovating our structure and systems to make a positive impact on the planet.
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VALUE CO-CREATION
WITH COMMUNITIES
We value the communities we work with just as much as we do our business. And we are taking the initiative to prove it.
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SUPPLY CHAIN
MANAGEMENT
We communicate with our suppliers to ensure that our product is made as sustainably as possible.
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CLIMATE CHANGE
We will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by further promoting energy conservation and actively using renewable energy.
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PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND PACKAGING
We are actively working towards reducing the environmental impact of our plastic containers and packaging.
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WATER
We are working to reduce water consumption, develop water management plans to address water risks, and promote the sustainable use of water resources.
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