Sunday October 28, 2007
Delivery ladies
A look at the Yakult Ladies of Honsha Co. Ltd, one of the leading fermented milk drink suppliers in the country.
By LOH FOON FONG
IT was drizzling heavily on the morning we, journalists, set out on bicycles to observe the work of women delivering Yakult fermented milk drink and yoghurt to their neighbourhood in Japan.
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There are 593 Yakult centres in Tokyo itself and it takes 180 Yakult Ladies and 60 staff members to ensure smooth delivery of their products to a million customers daily, said Hitoshi Sasaki, president of the Yakult Touto Sales Co. |
The Japanese believe that besides a healthy traditional Japanese diet, it is important to keep the gut healthy by consuming probiotic (food containing beneficial bacteria) and prebiotic food (food for beneficial bacteria).
The streets in the Edogawa district, Japan, were quiet and tranquil, since most adults had gone to work and children tucked away in schools.
Kimiko Okuda, 36, cycled with a 30kg load of products kept in ice in a special storage box at the back of her bicycle and in the front basket.
Everyday at 9am, from Monday to Saturday, Okuda, like all Yakult Ladies, goes to the Yakult Centre near her house to collect the stock for pre-ordered products as well as store up for those who wish to buy the products on the spot.
By 1pm, Okuda returns to the Centre, returns unsold products and keeps an account of the sales she has made for the day.
“I decided to take on the part time job to earn some money while the children are at school,” said Okuda who has two children in elementary school and one in kindergarten.
Of all the products that the women distribute, the most popular products are the Lactobacilli fermented milk drinks, said Okuda.
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Yakult Lady Kimiko Okuda, 36, in a raincoat, delivers fermented milk to Katsuko Kobayashi, 71, in the Edogawa district of Japan. |
At one of the homes, Katsuko Kobayashi, 71, who looked twenty years younger than her age, said she started consuming the drink more than 40 years ago.
“Now my grandchildren are also drinking it,” she said. She orders 20 bottles every week and gives them mostly to her grandchildren.
Hiroyuki Wada, 56, owner of the Marumoriya Restaurant in Edogawa district, said he had been taking the drink for six years for they made him healthier.
Car parts yard owner, a paraplegic and retirees were among those we encountered while trailing Okuda in her journey in that morning.
There are 593 Yakult Centres in Tokyo and it takes 180 Yakult Ladies and 60 staff members from 15 Yakult Centres to ensure smooth delivery of the products to a one million population daily, said Hitoshi Sasaki, president of the Yakult Touto Sales Co.
Its managing director Kouichi Nakayama said more than 60% of Yakult products in Japan are distributed by Yakult women while the rest are marketed through supermarkets, he said.
“Door-to-door sales through the Yakult Lady system is more profitable than supermarkets sales,” he said.
Women interested in the job can be high school or university graduates and there is no age limit, he said.
Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd International Business Department’s public relations coordinator William R. Henning Jr said 35% of women in Japan deliver the products by car, 31% by motorbike, 28% by bicycle, and 3% each by walking and push cart.
The Yakult Lady system started in 1963 and as of March, there are 43,753 Yakult women in Japan and 35,336 overseas, he said.
“Everyday, more than 25 million people consume Yakult. The recommendation is for people to drink one bottle a day,” he said.
In Malaysia, 31 Yakult women have been hired in Ijok, Kuala Selangor and Rawang, said Hideki Kawasaki, sales and marketing director of Yakult (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan-listed Yakult Honsha Co Ltd. established in 2002.
“They only cover areas within their own neighbourhood. This helps ensure their safety as they are familiar with their own area and are within their own community,” he said.
Yakult products were introduced to Malaysians in 2004. Currently, only its Lactobacilli fermented milk drink Yakult Ace is available in Malaysia.
All of Yakult’s 34 functional food products have received the FOSHU mark, Japan’s recognition for food with specific health benefits.
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