1 | THE SHIRAKAMI SANCHI REGION
Shirakami Sanchi is a collective term for a mountainous area that extends from southwestern Aomori Prefecture to northwestern Akita Prefecture and covers approximately 500 square miles. It is the habitat for an abundance of animals, insects, and bacteria. Of this, about 65 square miles is a natural virgin beech forest, which is Japan's first World Natural Heritage Site along with Yakushima. In Shirakami Sanchi, beech forests are preserved in their native state and have a variety of flora and fauna. These forests are typically found in East Asia and have been around since the Last Glacial period. The forest's richness preserves an ecosystem where a wide variety of animals and plants are able to coexist.
Mineral water and cosmetic companies are among the businesses thriving in the area thanks to the abundant water supplied by Shirakami Sanchi. A natural yeast called Shirakami Kodama Yeast, found in the mulch of Shirakami Sanchi, produces rich sweetness and aroma when used in baking. Researchers are also searching for new bacteria in the Shirakami Mountains, such as the lactic acid bacterium Sakuraku.
Credit: Wikipedia/Shirakami Sanchi
2 | NOVEL AND POWERFUL LACTOCOCCUS LACTIS
A team of Japanese researchers have discovered a novel strain of Lactococcus lactis derived from Japanese beech that inhabits the Shirakami mountainous region. This strain appears to be powerful and is associated with a comprehensive list of benefits. A few of these include having a blood sugar-reducing action, a lipid metabolism-improving action, an antioxidant action, an anti-obesity action, an arteriosclerosis-preventive action, a fatty liver-suppressing action, a hepatitis-preventive action, a liver function-improving action, an enteric environment-improving action, and a digestive tract mucous membrane-protective action.
One of the three main probiotic ingredients in our hand moisturizer is Lactococcus Ferment, derived from the novel strain of Lactococcus lactis found in Shirakami Sanchi. Lactococcus Ferment stimulates the cellular renewal of the skin, eliminating the layer of dead skin cells and reinforcing the epidermis barrier function. It also has antimicrobial and defense properties against pollution and its impact on the skin.
Credit: travel.jp
References:
https://www.sumobrain.com/patents/wipo/Novel-lactic-acid-bacterium-derived/WO2022091193A1.html
https://www.aomori-itc.or.jp/aomori-terroir/en/development/development_en.php