About Yakult Honsha
Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., founded by Dr. Minoru Shirota on January
29, 1955, is the parent company behind the iconic Yakult probiotic
drink.
Headquartered in Minato‑ku, Tokyo, Japan, Yakult Honsha leads
worldwide efforts in probiotic research, production, and global
expansion.
Key Research Areas
Operates 38 manufacturing plants and subsidiary branches in over 40 countries
Yakult Middle East FZCO was established in Dubai in 2015, with product sales beginning in 2017 across the UAE and GCC
Other key subsidiaries include Yakult U.S.A. (1999), Yakult India (2008), Yakult Europe (1996), and many others .
Pillars of Science & Research
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Yakult Honsha owns the Yakult Central Institute (est. 1955), the world-renowned microbiology research center in Tokyo
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Also supports advanced research at the European Research Centre in Belgium and independent grants via the Yakult Bio Science Foundation
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Studies cover microbiology, immunology, fermentation engineering, pharmaceuticals, and probiotic functionality
Philosophy “Shirota-ism
Yakult prioritizes affordable probiotic access and gut health
for everyone—a philosophy known as “Shirota-ism”
They view a healthy intestine as essential to longevity, and the
Yakult-ladies door-to-door delivery initiative supports that
mission