MONTREAL, April 30,
2024 /CNW/ - ITO EN, Ltd. The producer of the world's
No. 1 unsweetened green tea beverage brand Oi Ocha, has signed
a global agreement with Shohei
Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, effective April 30, 2024. Ohtani has been drinking Oi Ocha
on various occasions, from his time in Japan to his current life in Los Angeles. In conjunction with the signing
of this agreement, we are pleased to publish a letter from our
company to Shohei Ohtani, expressing
our support to him. As we aim to become a global tea company, we
will further enhance the value of Japanese tea around the world by
implementing various projects in Japan and abroad with Shohei Ohtani, who is active on the world
stage.
Oi Ocha x Shohei Ohtani sign a contract! Letter of
encouragement from Japan to Ohtani
in LA
To announce this contract, our company is publishing a letter to
Ohtani, who is active on the world stage in LA, with a message of
support from our company. The letter will be published in the Nihon
Keizai Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun,
Yomiuri Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, and Sankei Shimbun, as well as
in sports newspapers and regional newspapers throughout
Japan, including Iwate and
Hokkaido, where Ohtani was active.
Outside of Japan, it will appear
in newspapers published in countries where baseball is popular,
such as the NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post, Financial Times,
Honolulu Star-Advertiser in the United
States, Chosun Ilbo in Korea, The Courier-Mail, The Daily
Telegraph, Herald Sun in Australia, and others. Through the publication
of a letter in newspapers read by many people and on the official
website, the world will be filled with messages of support for
Ohtani as we send our support to him. "Hi, Ohtani-san! No matter
the time of day. No matter how far apart we are. We're here for
you, Ohtani-san." We will also deliver as many bottles of the
contracted products as requested, anytime, anywhere, to the athlete
himself and to those around him who support him.
"I am delighted to announce that I have entered into a global
partnership with ITO EN's Oi Ocha. Since my time in Japan, I have been a big fan of Oi Ocha, and
it has remained an important companion to me even in my life in
America. I was thrilled to hear that my love for Oi Ocha and my
frequent consumption of it resonated with ITO EN, which led to this
opportunity. As a devoted fan of Oi Ocha, I am excited about the
prospect of sharing its charm with people all over the
world."
- Shohei Ohtani to ITO EN Oi Ocha
Shohei
Ohtani's Profile
Born in the Iwate Prefecture in 1994. 193 cm tall, 95 kg, throws
right-handed and bats left-handed. He was the first overall pick in
the NPB 2012 draft, joining the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, where
he drew attention for being a two-way player. In 2016, he
contributed to the Fighters' Japan
championship with both pitching and hitting, and became the
Pacific League's MVP. In 2021, he was named the American
League's MVP after hitting 46 home runs as a hitter and winning 9
games as a pitcher; in 2023, he had a historic season, becoming the
first Japanese player in history to win the American League home
run crown in addition to achieving double-digit wins and home runs
for the second consecutive year. In 2024, he joined the Los Angeles
Dodgers. We can't wait to see what he can do in the future.
The world's No. 1 green tea
beverage brand Oi Ocha
Oi Ocha, our flagship brand and the world's No. 1 unsweetened
green tea beverage brand, celebrated its 35th
anniversary in February 2024 and has
sold more than 43 billion bottles since its launch in 1989.
Tea has permeated our lives as a communication tool that
connects people to each other, and is a familiar drink that is
referred to as an everyday staple. Since its predecessor product,
the world's first green tea drink Sencha in a can, was launched in
1985, the Oi Ocha brand has continued to grow based on our
technological capabilities to evolve with the changing drinking
styles of the times and our ability to procure high-quality raw
materials (tea leaves) through initiatives such as the tea
production area cultivation business. Overseas, the value of Oi
Ocha has been well-received, and the number of customers (fans) who
enjoy drinking it is steadily increasing in North America, Southeast Asia, and other regions. As of
March 2024, it is sold in more than
40 countries and territories.
ITO EN Corporate Profile
Based on the Group's management philosophy of "Customers First",
our mission is to help our customers lead healthy and affluent
lives and help create a sustainable society. We are committed to
providing the best taste and value of Japanese tea to our customers
of all ages. In order to realize our long-term vision of
becoming a global tea company, we will continue to promote Oi Ocha
as a representative Japanese brand around the world, connect with
tea culture in various regions around the world, and create a new
tea culture and tea market on a global scale through the ITO EN
Group's technology and value chain. Through the strong partnerships
we have built with everyone associated with our company since its
establishment, we will continue to contribute to the healthy and
affluent lives of our customers in Japan and worldwide.
SOURCE ITO EN