Disclosed is a novel lactic acid bacterium belonging to Lactobacillus plantarum, which has an excellent fermentative ability affording high achievable cell counts even if various vegetable or fruit juices are used as fermentative substrates. The lactic acid bacterium belonging to Lactobacillus plantarum is characterized by the achievable viable cell counts being 10 8 CFU/ml or more in both cases when 100% juice of grape or of orange is used as fermentative substrate.