TOKYO - More people in Japan appear keen to improve their gut health and dietary habits, with major food companies seeking to capitalize on the trend through mail-in microbiome tests and app-based services.
Ezaki Glico Co. began offering a personalized health support service in September that combines a stool test kit, microbiome analysis and tailored nutrition guidance for 79,200 yen ($500).
The service uses mRNA analysis technology, which, according to U.S. developer Viome Life Sciences Inc., reveals not only which gut bacteria are present but also which are active and what functions they are performing.
By analyzing the submitted sample and a questionnaire about users' diets and lifestyles, the mRNA Health Tracker service gives them health scores based on 26 factors, including stress and digestion, as well as recommendations for foods to eat and avoid from a list of about 300 items.
Glico also sells frozen meal sets and supplements tailored to users' biological profiles.
"We would like to provide personalized diet and solution through the visualization of gut activities," Glico President Etsuro Ezaki said at a press conference on Oct. 9 to announce the launch of the service in partnership with Viome Life Sciences.
Snack maker Calbee Inc. has offered an intestinal bacteria test coupled with a regular granola delivery service since 2023, with the number of subscribers exceeding 70,000 as of September this year.
The service called Body Granola was developed by Calbee and start-ups Metagen Inc. in Yamagata Prefecture and Cykinso Inc. based in Tokyo.
Through its test kit, users can learn their gut flora type from among 57 patterns based on the presence and abundance of gut microbes such as Bifidobacterium, which is seen in dairy products and helps digestion.
Customers can order granola with ingredients favored by their gut bacteria. The test kit costs 19,800 yen, while a subscription for 20 servings of granola costs 4,320 yen.
Dairy products and confectionary maker, Meiji Co., offers a personalized care service featuring five gut types and comes with a cocoa drink formulated with recommended ingredients. The price tag for the starter set is 12,000 yen.
The Inner Garden service, which began in 2024, was initially sold only on its website, but has been made available at some pharmacies since 2025 as Meiji found its sales steadily growing despite being seen as a relatively pricey service for the general public.
The company said customers have welcomed being able to learn their gut type with a simple test and that the recommendations are easy to reflect in their daily lives.
Beverage manufacturer Suntory Holdings Ltd., meanwhile, runs a free app called Cho note, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze a user's gut conditions from sounds captured by putting a smartphone microphone against their stomach. Cho means intestine in Japanese.
The app, which also suggests suitable diets and lifestyle habits, has been downloaded more than 500,000 times. Users can create their own list of activities for gut health based on their daily records.
"We hope (this app) will help people find their own gut health routine that works best for them," the company said.
