We are pleased to bring Yakult, the world's leading probiotic beverage, to Americans. Yakult was created more than 70 years ago in Japan and we are fortunate to have made it this far.
I would like to mention that our product, Yakult, has been made from the idea that contributes to human's healthy lives. Although it is such a small product, it contains our technology and also the culture and spirit of Japan.
Yakult began when our company's founder, Dr. Minoru Shirota, cultured a powerful bacterium, Lactobacillus casei Shirota, because of its ability to survive stomach acids and bile and reach the intestines alive. This particular live and active culture, which is immune to the effects of strong stomach acids, reaches the intestines alive and has various functions that may have a positive impact on our health.
Dr. Shirota advocated preventive medicine to avoid sickness, rather than treating illnesses once they developed, as well as the concept that creating a healthy intestinal tract results in a healthy, long life. This predates our founding over 70 years ago. Now, preventive medicine and the idea that "a healthy intestine leads to a long life" are the very essence of "probiotics," which have become the focus of considerable attention.
It was Dr. Shirota's belief that everyone in the world should have a high quality of life, no matter what their income level. This is why he advocated selling Yakult for the price of a postcard. Our success is not measured by sales, but in terms of reaching others with our healthy message.
Dr. Shirota's ideas and beliefs combined with the passion of our employees all over the world are what make Yakult special and unique. We refer to this as "Shirota-ism," which serves as the foundation of our business.
We look forward to years of health and success in the United States.
Sincerely,
Teruo Tabuchi
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Yakult U.S.A Inc.
