Japan
Natural Products Industry Responds to Trump Tariffs
On April 2, President Donald Trump declared that “foreign trade and economic practices have created a national emergency.” His executive order imposes responsive tariffs to “strengthen the international economic position of the United States and protect American workers.” Under the order, Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on all countries effective April 5. There will ...
Essential Formulas Celebrates 25-Year Anniversary
In 2025, Texas-based Essential Formulas Inc. (EFI) celebrated its 25th Silver Jubilee anniversary. Its commitment to research, education and innovative product development has been vital to shaping the probiotic market. EFI was established in 2000 as the exclusive U.S. distributor of the award-winning probiotic line from world-renowned Japanese microbiologist Dr. Iichiroh Ohhira (1936-2016). In 2015, ...
LaneInnovative Celebrates 30 Years in Business
In September 1994, around the kitchen table, Florida-based LaneInnovative (formerly LaneLabs USA) was born. It was the brainchild of Andrew Lane and his father Dr. William Lane. They partnered with the best researchers and manufacturers from around the globe and began developing innovative products to address the basic needs of the body. This year, the ...
Functional Food and Supplement Sales Decline in Japan Following Deaths
Consumers in Japan are shying away from dietary supplements and functional food products following a health scare from red yeast rice products manufactured by Kobayashi Pharmaceutical (Osaka, Japan). Since March, more than 100 people have been hospitalized and five people died, after taking Kobayashi products containing red yeast rice (called beni koji in Japanese). A ...
Wakunaga of America Celebrates 50 Years in Business
Wakunaga of America, Co., Ltd. (Mission Viejo, CA) has announced that it is celebrating 50 years in business. Wakunaga first introduced its flagship product, Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract (AGE), to America in 1972. Initially developed by scientist Dr. Eugene Schnell and banker Mr. Manji Wakunaga in post-World War II Japan, today’s AGE begins with organic ...
Mushroom Wisdom Acquired by Hokuto Corporation
New Jersey-based Mushroom Wisdom, Inc. (MWI) announced that 100 percent of the company shares have been acquired by Hokuto Corporation (Hokuto), Japan’s top mushroom cultivator. The transaction includes the acquisition of Sun Medica, Co., Ltd (SM), MWI’s affiliate in Japan. Both MWI and SM were founded by Mike Shirota and Tomoko Nakamura in 1991 and ...
Dr. Ohhira, Probiotic Innovator, Dies at 80
On March 1, Iichiroh Ohhira, PhD, developer of world-renowned Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotic Formulations (known as OM-X in Japan), passed away after a brief illness. He was 80 years old. “This is extremely sad news for everyone at Essential Formulas. I had the privilege of working with Dr. Ohhira for many years and considered him not ...
Japanese Organic Market Jumps
It is estimated that one in five Japanese eat or use an organic product at least once a week, creating more demand than the country alone can deliver, according to information provided by BioFach Japan and reported by Organic and Wellness News. The current volume of both domestic and imported organic products total more than 150 ...
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