On Yakult

I started drinking Yakult on a regular basis (daily in the evenings) when I first came to Japan in February 1996. A very close friend had suggested it to me as I was recovering from amoebiasis and just finished my antibiotics regimen when I arrived in Tokyo. My tummy improved faster than I thought it would with my daily dose of Yakult and soon I could have also have some alcohol during those winter days in Tokyo. I've had at least one Yakult a day since then, to which I have attributed (partly) my general well-being. Probiotics, I thought, worked with me.

Typical 5-pack Yakult you can buy at the supermarket. There's also the blue Yakult Light, the less sugar version, but I haven't seen those in the supermarket lately.

I used to purchase 2 packs of 4 of these. Yakult 400 had almost double the amount of regular Yakult and you could only buy these from Yakult distributors (remember the Yakult Lady?) in Japan.

At the height of the lockdowns, some people hoarded Yakult, not for themselves or their families but to sell. Reports of this practice prompted supermarkets to place limits on the Yakult you can buy. The company also issued the above statement concerning this including an item on the prices of Yakult.

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