A Challenge Born from 70,000 Yen and 250 Million Yen in Debt: Kagurazaka Dairy Featured in 'The Companies We Want to Cherish Most in Japan 9'

Kagurazaka Dairy Co., Ltd. (Shinjuku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Kazuhiko Hayashi) is pleased to announce its inclusion in the book "The Companies We Want to Cherish Most in Japan 9" (authored by Koji Sakamoto), released on March 24, 2026.

This book series exclusively introduces companies that practice "management that values people," typically featuring organizations with a long history of building social trust. For our company, which was founded only recently, to be featured is an extremely rare occurrence.

■ 70,000 Yen in Assets, 250 Million Yen in Debt

Founder Kazuhiko Hayashi was a doctor who worked for 35 years at Tokyo Women's Medical University, serving as vice director and head of the cancer center. However, due to extreme stress from handling medical malpractice cases and declining health, he developed severe constipation. Finding no relief through standard intestinal health practices or laxatives, he felt the need to fundamentally rethink his own gut environment. He converted his home in Kagurazaka into a laboratory and immersed himself in the research and development of yogurt.

The result:

・Exhausted all retirement savings and personal savings
・Placed a mortgage on his home
・Accumulated approximately 250 million yen in personal debt
・Left with only 70,000 yen in cash

Even when his family asked, "What will we do if we lose this house?" he never stopped his development.

■ Why go to such lengths?

― To create a company where "those who cannot work, can work"

What Hayashi aimed for was not just a food company. He wanted to create a place where people who "want to work but cannot" due to various circumstances, such as cancer patients or caregivers, could find employment. He believed that starting a business and making it viable would serve as a form of social proof.

The company's philosophy is clear:

"Aim for social success, not economic success."

■ About Kagurazaka Dairy

― A "small social enterprise" of five people

Kagurazaka Dairy currently consists of only five people, including the representative. However, the members—including operating room nurses, hospital pharmacists, and fermentation experts—have gathered from diverse backgrounds, united by their resonance with the company's philosophy. By minimizing hierarchical employment relationships and involving everyone in management, the company is building an organization unlike traditional firms.

■ The Significance of Being Featured

― Why a "company that is not yet complete" was chosen

Kagurazaka Dairy is by no means a finished company. We are not financially well-off, and our business is still in the development stage. Nevertheless, we were featured because it is clear "what kind of company we aim to be." It is not about maximizing profit, but about what value we provide to society. We believe our stance on that question is what was evaluated.

■ Representative Comment (Kazuhiko Hayashi)

"It is an overwhelming honor to be featured in such a book. However, we are not yet a 'company to be cherished most.' Rather, we are at the stage where we are being challenged to continue to be that kind of company from here on out..."