"The most important thing for the body and life is the exit": Fermented Gut Health Brand "KIN no SUMIKA" Awarded the Emiko Yamagiwa Prize at La Chape Award 2026

Alataka LLC (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Ikuyo Tsubokawa) announced that its fermented gut health brand, "KIN no SUMIKA," received the "Emiko Yamagiwa Prize" at "La Chape Fes 2026," a festival for natural and organic products held at WITH HARAJUKU HALL (Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) from May 22 to 24, 2026.

The La Chape Award evaluates not only product functionality but also brand philosophy, social significance, and potential for future impact. KIN no SUMIKA was awarded the Emiko Yamagiwa Prize for its approach to "fermented gut health based on building a solid foundation for the intestines."

### The Importance of the "Exit"

During the award ceremony, fashion director and judge Emiko Yamagiwa shared her personal experiences. Reflecting on a time when her health severely deteriorated due to heavy antibiotic use, she stated, "I felt as if my intestinal bacteria had been completely wiped out. That's when I realized that the most important thing for the body—and for life—is the 'exit.'"

She continued, "When the exit is blocked, it's not just the body that suffers; the mind feels distressed, and thoughts stop. If life is blocked somewhere, everything comes to a standstill. That is why I felt so strongly about the importance of 'letting things out.'" Regarding KIN no SUMIKA, she remarked, "After hearing the presentation and trying the product myself, I thought, 'This is it!' I felt as if a superhero had arrived."

She explained that she awarded the prize to the brand because she wants as many people as possible who are struggling like she was to know about it. She praised the product as a "groundbreaking item that supports the 'relay' of gut bacteria."

### Praise for the "Microbial Relay" Concept

In addition to Ms. Yamagiwa, other judges also expressed their support for the philosophy of KIN no SUMIKA:

- Shiie Matsumiya, Director of Utopia Art Clinic Ebisu, commented, "Unlike gut health products that simply follow trends, I wanted to recommend this product because it is based on clinical research data from the perspective of microbial relay and the gut-brain axis." - Tatsuhiko Sekitatsu, Executive Producer of Kodansha FRaU / Representative Director of Sekitatsu Co., Ltd., praised the brand, saying, "I feel great potential in their aim to redesign the entire lifestyle through the 'microbial relay.'" - Hiroki Mukubayashi, Representative Director of 693 Brain, stated, "I feel that their focus on the 'microbial relay' and their proposal to build a future body based on 'natural intestinal mechanisms' will lead to individual life design."

### Addressing the Issue of "Gut Activity Fatigue"

During La Chape Fes 2026, many visitors visited the KIN no SUMIKA booth to discuss their gut health concerns. A common theme was, "I'm interested in gut health, but I don't know what to choose." The brand addresses this as the modern issue of "gut activity fatigue," emphasizing the need to look at the entire gut environment rather than just what to ingest.

### From "Ingesting Bacteria" to "Building a Foundation"

KIN no SUMIKA proposes building a "foundation for the gut" to create an environment where diverse bacteria can thrive, rather than just focusing on consuming specific strains. Their flagship product, "Kin no Tamatebako," is a chewable fermented gut health supplement containing approximately one trillion diverse bacteria daily, along with fermented dietary fiber and lactic acid bacteria metabolites, aimed at supporting the metabolic relay of bacteria and creating an gut environment that facilitates the production of short-chain fatty acids.