About Yakult Honsha Company

Yakult Honsha is a pioneer in probiotics, which launched the probiotic drinks Yakult in 1935 after Minoru Shirota’s discovery of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota, a strain of lactic acid bacteria proved to be able to live in intestines, in 1930. It operates in 40 countries across four continents selling mainly the Yakult probiotic drinks. Apart from the retail outlets, the home delivery channel, served by a team of 83,000 Yakult Ladies globally, contributes about 45% of its probiotic drink volume. Overseas markets comprise 40% of group sales and profits. Yakult has built a meaningful presence in populated emerging markets including China, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil. It plans to step up expansion in the US. It also operates a pharmaceutical business with an emphasis on oncology drugs.