TASK A : OBSERVANT

Observant :Dr. Minoru Shirota

Dr. Minoru Shirota, Yakult’s founder, focused his career on preventive medicine as a way to protect human health. After the investment of months and years of effort, he succeeded in strengthening and culturing a lactobacillusmthat was beneficial for human health. Yakult throughout the world. This show that he is one of entrepreneurial have observant character.

Until the day when he can deliver Yakult to all the people of the world,his propagation activities will not cease. Dr. Minoru Shirota places great emphasis on desire to sincerely deliver good health to as many people as possible.

In Probiotic products, Yakult has celebrated 75 years of anniversary since its founding. After taking stock and reflecting upon Dr. Minoru Shirota founding concepts of preventive medicine, the link between a healthy intestinal tract and a long life, and offering products at a price affordable to everyone.

In the 75 years since then, Yakult has conducted its business activities around the world in ways based on Dr. Shirota’s philosophy—Shirota-ism (preventive medicine, the link between a healthy intestinal tract and a long life, and offering products at a price affordable to everyone. As of March 31, 2011, as a leading Probiotics company, they help to protect people’s health in 32 countries and regions, including Japan. In addition to fermented milk drinks, Yakult operations in Japan today include a pharmaceuticals business, in which we handle an anticancer drug widely used worldwide, as well as a cosmetics business. This show he is one of the successful entrepreneur that observant looking person to create products that promote good health today and in the future.

Due to his skill and personal qualities of observant,  yakult market has become International Business. Both sales volume outside of Japan and sales on a local currency basis  increased during the year as a result of efforts to cultivate the market and expand the sales areas.

His attitude observant showed then the companies do training and personal development Organizational invigoration, and training that promotes initiative. So that the Yakult Group can continue to grow in the future, we pursue training and education aimed at enabling both individuals and the organization to continue growing. Beginning with the time when they first enter the Group and at every important career juncture thereafter, they have employees think about “the spirit of our founding—Shirota-ism,” undergo initiative training, and work to pass on to each individual the spirit of our founding. In addition, they provide employees with group training and self-development opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills required for particular roles at each job level. they work to develop people capable of initiating action and changing the status quo, and are moving forward with efforts to create a vibrant corporate culture in which people perform fulfilling.

Dr Minoru Shirota began researching lactic acid bacteria more than 80 years ago when the curative benefits of microbial science was yet to be accepted by the scientific community. Having studied the work of Russian Nobel laureate, Dr Eli Metchnikoff, he was convinced that having a positive balance of the beneficial bacteria in the intestines helped to ensure a healthy digestive system.

Dr Shirota devoted his whole life to the study, and he is forward observant review of  microorganisms. Because of the successfull by entrepreneur skill of observant looking, Dr Shirota became the first in the world to succeed in biotechnologically strengthening and culturing a bacterial strain that could withstand the gastric juice and bile to reach the intestines alive. This unique probiotic strain was later named Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota in his honour.