Yakult UK supports a range of digestive health charities, and in each issue we invite them to tell us about their work. digest

Yakult Newsletter Spring 2014

Regular readers of Digest will no doubt be familiar with the distinctive ‘Yakult Ladies’ (right) and their role distributing Yakult to people around the world. However, in many countries, the Yakult Ladies are far more than just recognisable figures; indeed, for their millions of respective customers worldwide, these 80,000 women make up a fundamental part of the everyday fabric of life. Such widespread global presence would almost certainly have been

unfathomable to Yakult’s founder, the scientist Dr Shirota, when he established the unique delivery system back in the 1960s. At the time, Yakult was available only in Dr Shirota’s home country of Japan, and local deliveries were generally made by men.

Keen that the product should be distributed with the same precise care and expertise with which it was manufactured, Dr Shirota pioneered a system whereby each bottle of Yakult would be delivered individually, door-to-door, enabling the delivery ladies to interact with customers, explain the nature of the product and answer any queries.

The system was hailed as revolutionary, not only in the meticulous attention to detail provided for each customer, but also in terms of the financial independence afforded for the Yakult Ladies

themselves – essentially, it turned each of the women involved into their own ‘small business owner’.

One person who still recalls with delight those early days of the scheme is 71-year old Toshiko Hagiwara. As one of the first ever Yakult Ladies, and now with almost half a century of unbroken service, Ms Hagiwara is officially one of the longest-serving Yakult

02 Celebrating 50 years

of Yakult Ladies

03 Yakult around the world

04 Exclusive interview: the Gutless Kayaker

05 Bacteria BULLETIN: new award scheme

06 Charity message: The Oesophageal Patients

Association

Contents

Celebrating 50 years of Yakult Ladies! As the pioneering home-delivery system reaches its half-century, we talk exclusively to one of the world’s longest-serving Yakult Ladies.

Ladies in the world!

We were lucky enough to catch up with Ms Hagiwara as she carried out her rounds in the Hamacho region, just outside the centre of Tokyo. She explained that she joined the Yakult Lady scheme back in 1965 – and has been delivering to many of the same organisations ever since!

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Unlike many Yakult Ladies, Ms Hagiwara delivers almost exclusively to office workers. As she explains: “When I first joined the Yakult Lady scheme, the economy was growing. There were a lot of large companies in the area, and many customers asked me to sell Yakult products.”

Ms Hagiwara delivers around 200 bottles of Yakult per day, energetically walking between offices with her distinctive Yakult cart. She explains that, although she never envisaged when joining that she would remain in the job for so long, she cannot now imagine leaving! She tells us: “I have been surrounded by good customers and colleagues, who continually help and support me. I really enjoy

the daily work – and that is why I plan to continue working as a Yakult Lady for many more years.” And this is by no means a far-fetched ambition; there are a number of Yakult Ladies aged 90 and over still working throughout Japan!

As Ms Hagiwara proudly explains that she has never been absent from her job, we ask the secret of her youthful enthusiasm and zest for life. “My customers’ encouraging words are my energy”, she replies with a smile. Throughout almost five decades of service, Ms Hagiwara has seen many changes: the Yakult bottles have been upgraded from heavy breakable glass to light, recyclable plastic; the number of Yakult Ladies in Japan has increased from just a few

Then and now: On the left, a Yakult Lady in the early days of the scheme, and on the right, Ms Hagiwara today

hundred to over 40,500, and the scheme has spread to another 12 countries including Thailand, India, Brazil, Mexico and Malaysia. But for Ms Hagiwara, the most interesting changes have been those taking place in her customers’ lives. Explaining that she enjoys friendly conversations with many of her long-term customers, she says:“Although 48 years have passed since I started delivering Yakult, I still get so much cheerfulness from my customers. I believe my job as a Yakult Lady is truly worthwhile, as we contribute not just to people but also to society.”And this sums up perfectly the role played by Yakult Ladies within the community; for many

Long-serving Toshiko Hagiwara

people, they’re far more than just a ‘delivery system’; they’re an integral part of local society. This is especially true in Japan, where many of the Yakult Ladies routinely visit the elderly as part of their job role, in order to check on their wellbeing and provide company and friendship.

The true value of the Yakult Ladies can perhaps best be summed up in a speech given by Dr Shirota in the 1970s, in which he stated that: “Yakult has two characteristics. One is that the product is a living microorganism. The other is the sales method, where we go and deliver each bottle to a specific customer. This is a wonderful feature…and for me personally, the Yakult Ladies represent a precious and wonderful treasure.”

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Yakult Australia kicks off another year of sports supportYakult Australia recently announced renewed support for professional

rugby union team the Melbourne Rebels, and top Australian Football League club Essendon FC. Both the Melbourne

Rebels and Essendon FC share a strong community-based philosophy, something around which the Yakult company itself was founded. As Yakult Australia’s managing director Mr. Kenji Ono commented when renewing the Essendon support into

2014: “At Yakult we believe in partnership. Over the past nine years we have admired Essendon for the work it does to benefit the community – and our partnership is a way of giving back to that community.”

Yakult goes travelling…The European Yakult family is growing fast, with our little bottle hitting supermarket shelves across Malta and Switzerland. Yakult is now available in 11 countries across Europe (namely Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Malta and Switzerland – in addition to the UK and Ireland) – so when you drink your daily Yakult, you’ll know you are in good company!

…and so do you!Each issue, we share our news about Yakult around the world – and we are delighted when you return the favour! Recently, our postbag has been packed with photos of intrepid Digest readers and their international Yakult discoveries: here we have Linda, who spotted our bottles in their new home of Malta; Emma, who was thrilled to discover Yakult when backpacking through Australia – and Jurga, who couldn’t bear to be parted from her Yakult and so took it all the way to Turkey with her!

We are often asked whether Yakult can be taken on a flight, and the answer is yes: just ensure that it is kept well-chilled (and ideally is not out of the fridge for more than four hours), that it is securely packaged in a plastic bag, that it is stored in the hold (rather than in hand luggage) – and that it is placed in a fridge on arrival. Of course, it may very well be that Yakult is already available in whichever country you are visiting – please contact us (using the details on the back page) for a full list of all 33 Yakult countries.

And please do send us photos of yourself and your Yakult on holiday; the best three will receive an exclusive Yakult bag – perfect for those holiday essentials!

Meanwhile, a little closer to home… We’ve been busy here in the UK recently too – creating a brand new advertisement! The animated advert features a series of 3D ‘paper sculptures’ – and gives a subtle nod to our Japanese history, with intricate origami-style images. Expert digital artists painstakingly created the lifelike ‘photo-real’ sculptures, including hot air balloons and a moving train, using the latest Maya animation software. We’re proud to say that it has already scooped a prestigious industry award – and as ever we’d love to hear your thoughts; please do contact us using the details on the back page.

With our little bottle available in 33 countries around the globe, there’s always something going on in the wonderful world of Yakult! Here we take a look at just a few snippets of recent news:

The Yakult interview:

Here at Yakult, we work with a number of digestive health charities, through which we are fortunate enough to meet a wide range of fascinating and inspirational people. And none more so than Justin Hansen, who has recently completed a month-long gutsy feat in order to raise money for St Mark’s Hospital: kayaking 420 miles across Britain. Impressive enough in itself, perhaps – but truly awe-inspiring considering that Justin has almost no intestinal system, and survives entirely on liquid nutrition, administered intravenously. We caught up with Justin shortly after he crossed the finishing line to find out a little more about his daredevil mission:

Justin, congratulations on such an impressive achievement! Please can you tell us why you decided to take on such a challenge?

Firstly, I wanted to try to show that it is still possible to set and achieve personal goals, despite what may appear to be insurmountable obstacles. I would consider Gutless Kayaking a success if it has encouraged someone to re-evaluate what is important to them, to reassess what they are capable of – and then to go out and achieve it.

I was also keen to raise funds for some of the important research being carried out at St Mark’s Hospital in Harrow. The FLEX project, concerning the early detection and treatment of bowel cancer, seemed particularly relevant to me, since my father had died from this disease. All funds raised by this mission are being channelled directly into this particular research project.

In addition, with Para-Canoe being one of the new events in the 2016 Paralympics, I realised that, as a man with a disability, this would be a perfect time to carry out an event of this nature.

How many hours per day did you spend kayaking?

The average distance we travelled was 15 miles per day. The most

time we spent kayaking on a single day was 9.5 hours, while the shortest day was 3.5 hours. Time and distance were dependent on the conditions – and because of my medical needs, I had to decide well before the event itself where we would be stopping each night.

Did you travel alone or with a team?

Alice, Stevo and I completed the whole trip. Alice handled land support and social media, Stevo kayaked or crewed the support vessels and I only kayaked. My sister Victoria and my mum visited every weekend with cake and news.

Behind the scenes was my team at St Mark’s Hospital, who ensured that the prescription for my intravenous nutrition was adjusted to my needs while kayaking. And Bupa Home Health Care, who made sure the nutrition was delivered to me on time.

Many others helped along the way – and I also had a mascot: Flat Stanley. He was given to me by my god-daughter, whose school created an educational project, highlighting Flat Stanley’s mission. It was a great thrill that I was able to contribute to their learning.

I would also like to thank Canal Connections (www.canalconnections.blogspot.co.uk), who provided a narrow boat for

my use as a support vessel and ‘hospital ship’.

How did you manage your nutrition requirements throughout the trip?

I needed six litres of intravenous liquid nutrition every day. I did not take any food or drink by mouth. Bupa installed a fridge in one of the narrow boats and delivered medications and ancillary items to me on the waterways every three days. My cabin was set up so that I could self-manage my aseptic procedures in safety.

What was the highlight for you?

Too many to mention! From our mayoral send-off at Skipton, to paddling with Olympians (including gold medallist Tim Baillie) to disrupting the traffic through Bristol whilst the bridge was opened specifically for us, to winding down in the pub with all the crew and paddlers after a hard day on the water, it truly was an unforgettable month.

How can people find out more information and/or donate?

To find out more, take a look at www.gutlesskayaking.com. To donate, please visit: www.gutlesskayaking.com/blog/can-you-help.

Thank you Justin – and congratulations!

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‘Gutless Kayaker’ Justin Hansen‘Gutless’ by name – but not by nature!

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You have probably already heard of (and perhaps even been involved with) Gut Week during its 15 year history. However, as part of the most recent campaign, the key Gut Week partners (Core, the IBS Network and Yakult UK Limited) introduced a brand new initiative: the Healthcare Professional Award. The award scheme was designed to help healthcare professionals (HCPs) disseminate information to their patients, and spread the word about the Gut Week campaign. We were delighted by the response, with over 150 HCPs from all over the UK requesting Gut Week packs. Entries were judged according to innovation,

originality, impact of the campaign and level of awareness created. We received some great photos of Gut Week stands around the country, and lots of very positive feedback, both from HCPs and the Gut Week event participants themselves.

First place was awarded to The Garth Care Home in Herefordshire, for their efforts to build awareness amongst residents, their families

The latest big headlines from a microscopic world...

Dr Linda Thomas

ªBacteria

and staff. As you can see from the photos, everyone involved had a great time, with activities taking place all week – including gut-related quizzes and sampling of healthy snacks created by the kitchen staff. Runner-up awards went to The Complex Multiple Impairment Team at St. Mary’s Hospital, Leeds, who ran the campaign alongside Learning Disability Week, and Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who targeted their campaign at employees, with the aim of encouraging them to make positive choices.Due to the fantastic response, the scheme will be repeated during the next Gut Week campaign; we will of

course bring you the results in a future issue of Digest! In the meantime, why not visit www.loveyourgut.com, which is available all year round with exclusive recipes, quizzes, advice and games, as well as a weekly blog. Healthcare professionals can also visit the dedicated website at www.yakult.co.uk/hcp for information about Yakult’s research. Any healthcare professionals (including those working within occupational health) who would like details of the 2014 award scheme should contact science@yakult.co.uk.

In our regular feature, we hand over to the Yakult UK science team, led by microbiologist Dr Linda Thomas. This issue, senior science officer Naomi Johnson shares the results of an innovative new award scheme.

Gut Week and Love Your Gut are initiatives of Core and the IBS Network, supported by Yakult UK Limited. Neither Core nor the IBS Network endorses any specific commercial or pharmaceutical products.

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The Oesophageal Patients AssociationThis issue, we hear from Alan Moss, Vice Chairman of The Oesophageal Patients Association:

Yakult UK supports a range of digestive health charities, and in each issue we invite them to tell us about their work.

When I first became involved in The Oesophageal Patients Association (OPA), two things surprised me: the first was how people coped without an oesophagus and/or stomach; the digestive system does seem to adapt for many people, despite the traumatic effects of really major surgery. The second was that these friendly people never really mentioned their cancer and the fear of it returning: instead, they shared questions, hints and tips about getting on with life – which were all about coping with diarrhoea, bloating, insulin spikes, ‘wind’, absorption of nutrition, reflux, ruined

underwear and many other subjects that would never pass the lips of normal polite company!

We are happy to say that more and more people are now alive many years after their treatment, but the lessons about managing mealtimes and diet are vitally important for achieving a reasonable quality of life. Until fairly recently we have tended to think that our problems were created solely by the surgery, but now we are realising that we might have something in common with other groups of patients who have had cancer treatment.

Understandably, we are passionate supporters of campaigns to raise awareness about symptoms such as persistent heartburn that can indicate more serious underlying problems. Oesophageal cancer causes 7,500 deaths in the UK each year, 70% of which are

adenocarcinoma that is heavily linked, not to alcohol or smoking, but to persistent acid reflux. Stomach acid splashes up into the oesophagus and gradually, over a number of years, causes the lining of the cells to change. This causes a pre-cursor condition, Barrett’s Oesophagus, which carries a risk, over some years, of turning into cancer.

So if you are experiencing such symptoms, please do not keep taking over-the-counter remedies month after month without going to your GP to get checked out for underlying causes!

For more information, please see www.opa.org.uk and www.actionagainstheartburn.org.uk

Alan Moss

Yakult UK Ltd., Artemis, Odyssey Business Park, West End Road, South Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 6QE. UK residents please use this address for all correspondence; in Ireland, please write to Yakult Ireland, Suite 215, The Capel Building, Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7, Ireland. Email: in the UK, please email info@yakult.co.uk; in Ireland please email info@yakult.ie