Abstract
Yakult, a lactic acid beverage drink, and the Yakult Lady, who delivers it to customers, are not only the sellers but also the propagators of the company philosophy. In this article, we describe Shirota-ism and the Yakult Lady Dealer System.
Shirota-ism is the business philosophy of the Yakult Group and comprises three ideas, namely, “preventive medicine,” “a healthy intestinal tract leads to a long life,” and “a price anyone can afford.” The Yakult Lady Dealer System is a unique sales system used by the company. Most of the dealers are married housewives, and they deliver the products directly to their customers’ homes. This system has been introduced not only in Japan but also in other countries where Yakult is available. The role of the Yakult Lady is both to deliver the products and to propagate Shirota-ism through conversations with their customers.
Based on the case studies of two sales companies, the article discusses that the role of the Yakult Lady, who originally simply sold products in the early days, is changing to one that embodies the philosophy of the foundation of Yakult, which contributes to people’s health.
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Notes
- 1.
The Yakult Lady is also called Yakult Staff by some sales companies. They were initially referred to as Yakult Obasan (Mrs. Yakult) when lady dealers were introduced but began to be called “Yakult Lady” from around 1983. “Yakult Lady” became a universal name in nearly all sales companies in 1994. Afterward, according to my survey, there was a tendency to change the name “Yakult Lady” to “Yakult Staff” for a while, but with time, the “Yakult Lady” made a comeback and became firmly established. The sales companies of Kobe Yakult and Hyogo Yakult, in which I conducted hearing surveys, use the name Yakult Staff. Since Yakult Honsha currently use Yakult Lady, this article refers to them in the same way. Even in the description on the sales companies that use Yakult Staff, this article applies the word Yakult Lady to them. However, this article does not deal with the “Yakult Beauty” who is engaged in the sales of cosmetic products.
- 2.
In this article, “Yakult Group” is used as a collective name for all organizations and people involved in the Yakult business, such as Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., sales companies, and the Yakult Lady.
- 3.
Yakult Honsha Shashi Hensan Iinkai (2014b), p. 126.
- 4.
Yakult Honsha Shashi Hensan Iinkai (2014a), p.164.
- 5.
Yakult Honsha Shashi Hensan Iinkai (2014a), p.21.
- 6.
Yakult Honsha Shashi Hensan Iinkai (2014a), p.153.
- 7.
Yakult Honsha Shashi Hensan Iinkai (2014a), p. 154. Although the ideas that “women are easy to manage” or that “(women are) steadfast, patient, serious and careful ” cannot be entirely accepted as the norm because it stems from a bias, this article follows this line of thinking by drawing upon the company history.
- 8.
Yakult Honsha Shashi Hensan Iinkai (2014a), p.138.
- 9.
Yakult Honsha Koho-shitsu (2018).
- 10.
According to the company official HP, Yakult Honsha’s sales result in 2017 showed a 1.9% increase, to 189.2 billion yen, when compared with the previous fiscal year, while the Asia and Oceania regions saw a large growth in sales, by 17.8%, or 109.8 billion yen.
- 11.
A interview survey to Shanghai Yakult was conducted on March 10, 2015.
- 12.
Details of each interview survey are as follows: Kobe Yakult with Mr. Seijuro Tanigawa, President and CEO, for about 1 hour and 30 minutes on May 19, 2015, and Hyogo Yakult with Mr. Yasuhisa Abe, President and CEO, and three others for about 4 h on May 23, 2015. The case study is also based on internal materials obtained at the time of the interview surveys and the responses received to the questions asked via follow-up emails.
- 13.
In addition, they set “to make many people healthy as soon as possible by thorough dissemination of Shirota-ism” as “the mission of Kobe Yakult” and “the company that can offer a touching service with hospitality mind that customers appreciate” as “sales to aim for” (Kobe Yakult Hanbai Kabushikigaisha (2015)).
- 14.
These activities are implemented to provide for the safety of the elderly customers they visited and to help communicate with them in cases of emergency. It includes taking actions such as contacting the hospital or relatives to inform them of any anomalies they notice at the time of visit, such as the smell of gas or not hearing back despite being called many times. The visiting activity cooperates with the customers’ resident association, civilian committee members, etc. This practice began in 1972 and continues to be widely practiced in sales companies across the country.
- 15.
The synapsology is an exercise program that is aimed at stimulating brain activity with moderate stimuli to the brain by having people to do “different things at the same time” and “different movements on the left and right,” which is not normally practiced in regular life. This has been developed and spread by Renaissance Co., Ltd., which develops sport club businesses nationwide.
- 16.
Previously, the author conducted a study of Saishunkan Co. Ltd., which sells basic cosmetics such as Domohorn Wrinkles and Chinese herbal medicines (Okuno 2008). The company is engaged in the manufacture and sales of cosmetics mainly via mail order and is among the first companies to introduce a toll-free number in Japan. The company has a system of operators called “customer pleasers” who share a rapport with their customers. There are many common points between this system and the Yakult Lady system. Health foods and basic cosmetics, whose effects are unclear after short-term drinking and use, may be closer to trust goods than experienced goods.
References
Hyogo Yakult Hambai Kabushikigaisha (Hyogo Yakult Sales Co., Ltd.) (2015) Kenkō oyakudachi omotenashi jigyō hōkoku-sho (Health, benefit and hospitality business report) (in Japanese). Company internal document 5:1–34
Kawabata Y (2009) Shirota-izumu no kokusai teki hirogari to shimei: Yakult no kokusai jigyō (International spread and mission of Shirota-ism: Yakult’s international business) (in Japanese). Hakuoh Bijinesu Rebyū (Hakuoh Business Review) 18(2):51–65
Kobe Yakult Hambai Kabushikigaisha (Kobe Yakult Sales Co., Ltd.) (2015) Dai 44-kai Kobe Yakult hanbai kabushikigaisha jūji-sha taikai (The 44th Kobe Yakult Sales Co., Ltd. Worker’s conference) (in Japanese) (Company internal document)
Okuno A (2008) Hi-meiji tekina rinen no shintō to keishō: Kabushikigaisha Saishunkan Seiyakusho (Penetration and inheritance of non-explicit philosophy: Saishunkan Co., Ltd.). In the Study Group of Inheritance of business philosophy, Sumihara N et al (eds) Keiei Rinen: Keishō to Dempa no Keiei-jinruigaku teki Kenkyū (An administrative anthropological study of inheritance and propagation) (in Japanese). PHP Institute, Kyoto
Yakult Honsha Koho-shitsu (Yakult Headquarters Public Relations Department) (2018) Yakult no gaikyō Heisei 30-nen 8-gatsu (Summary of Yakult Heisei 30 August) (Company internal document) (in Japanese). https://www.yakult.co.jp/company/pdf/gaikyo2018.pdf.
Yakult Honsha Shashi Hensan Iinkai (Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. History Compilation Committee) (2014a) Yakult 75-nen-shi-jōkan: sōgyō no atsuki kokoro (Yakult’s seventy-five years’ history volume 1: passion for start of business) (in Japanese). Yakuruto Honsha Co., Ltd, Tokyo
Yakult Honsha Shashi Hensan Iinkai (Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. History Compilation Committee) (2014b) Yakult 75-nen-shi-gekan: probiotics no michi (Yakult’s seventy-five years’ history volume 2: road to probiotics) (in Japanese). Yakuruto Honsha Co., Ltd, Tokyo
Websites
Hyogo Yakult Sales Co., Ltd. Official HP. http://www.hyogo-yakult.co.jp/index.php. Accessed 30 Mar 2019
Kobe Yakult Sales Co., Ltd. Official HP. http://www.kobe-yakult.co.jp/. Accessed 30 Mar 2019
Yakult Honsha Official HP. http://www.yakult.co.jp/. Accessed 30 Mar 2019
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Seijuro Tanigawa, President and CEO of Kobe Yakult Sales Co., Ltd. and Mr. Yasuhisa Abe, President and CEO of Hyogo Yakult Sales Co., Ltd., who cooperated with me when I visited their offices to conduct my surveys. I would like to thank many active Yakult Ladies who participated in my survey. I appreciate the PR departments of these companies and Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. for significant support in the process of arranging interviews, gathering responses to my questionnaires, and confirming the contents of my draft.
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Okuno, A. (2020). The Philosophy of the Yakult Group and Its Propagator, the Yakult Lady. In: Mitsui, I. (eds) Cultural Translation of Management Philosophy in Asian Companies. Translational Systems Sciences, vol 21. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0241-5_6
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