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The Stories of Wakodo

Wakodo’s founder, Prof. Tsukasa Hirota, was the pioneer of Japanese pediatrics

I want to save the children dying of malnutrition!

Professor Tsukasa Hirota,the first professor of Pediatrics at Tokyo Imperial University

Professor Tsukasa Hirota,
the first professor of Pediatrics
at Tokyo Imperial University

The history of Wakodo began as pediatric medicine took its first step. It was the 39th year of the Meiji era (1906), when Wakodo Pharmacy was born in the township of Kanda, in Tokyo. It was Doctor Tsukasa Hirota, who established the first pediatrics department in Japan at Tokyo Imperial University (present the University of Tokyo), who opened Wakodo Pharmacy. In other words, Prof. Hirota was the father of Wakodo, as well as the father of Japanese Pediatrics.

Around the time Dr. Hirota opened Wakodo Pharmacy, Japan had very high early childhood mortality (ratio of deaths among infants and young children), 150-160 deaths for every 1000 babies. Compared to Japan’s current early childhood mortality of about 2 in every 1000, the world’s lowest, one will see how tragic was the number of little lives lost in those times.

Faced with this depressing situation, Dr Hirota decided to do whatever it took to reduce early childhood mortality. His idea was not only to treat children’s sickness, but also to put efforts into preventing diseases. He opened Wakodo Pharmacy to import baby care products from Germany, the most advanced at the time, and to promote their use through guidance and distribution.

The products Wakodo Pharmacy distributed included “Nurtlogen,” already highly valued in Western countries for nutritional supplement prepared for infants and young children; “Cough Drops,” anti-cough formula containing maltose extract; and “Malt Extract,” nutritional formula to promote regular bowel movement in infants and young children. Those were all directly imported from top class pharmaceutical manufacturers in Germany. Alongside the imported lineup, Wakodo Pharmacy also developed and sold its own products, such as Siccarol. That was how Wakodo started taking its steps, carrying out Dr. Hirota’s wish for health and healthy growth of children.

ASAHI GROUP FOODS,LTD. become an owner of WAKODO brand products. (As of 1, July 2017)

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