NEWS RELEASE
Thailand’s popular ‘Oi Ocha’ green tea partners Los Angeles Dodgers’ superstar Shohei Ohtani
Brand looks to lead global ‘Green Tea Boom’ as taste and health benefits attract new generation of fans
BANGKOK, Thailand, May 2, 2024 – ITO EN, Ltd. the producer of the Japan’s No. 1 unsweetened green tea beverage brand “Oi Ocha”, is pleased to announce that it has signed a global agreement with Los Angeles Dodgers’ superstar Shohei Ohtani, effective April 30, 2024.
‘Oi Ocha’ is one of Thailand’s most popular unsweetened green tea drinks. The company’s long-standing presence in Thailand for more than 10 years has helped introduce ‘Oi Ocha’ to an emerging generation of Thai green tea lovers. Production and consumption are on the rise as Thailand continues to show a growing interest in refreshing and healthy beverage options.
Daisuke Honjo, president and executive officer said, “We aim to become a global tea company and further enhance the value of Japanese tea around the world by implementing various projects in Japan and abroad with Shohei Ohtani, who is a global sports icon and baseball’s only two-way player.”
The relationship between Ohtani and ‘Oi Ocha’ shows the unique health benefits of drinking green tea for professional athletes and the general public. At the same time, the effects of green tea on sleep quality are being touted by an international journal and this helps drive a ‘Green Tea Boom’ worldwide, thanks to a component unique to green tea that was found to be effective in lowering psychological stress, improving attention and work performance, and improving sleep quality.
Apart from being a preferred drink of choice for Shohei Ohtani, ‘Oi Ocha’ is popular with a new generation of celebrities including Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber and actor Neil Patrick Harris who are attracted to its refreshing taste and notable health benefits.
The famous Ohtani has been a regular drinker of ‘Oi Ocha’ for some time, and as it grew in popularity he was seen frequently drinking it with his former team, the Los Angeles Angels.
Shohei Ohtani, said, “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.”
Ohtani, the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, is off to another fast start in 2024 with his new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. He recently hit the 176th home run of his career, surpassing Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japanese-born player in Major League Baseball history.
ITO EN is announcing this new partnership in a letter of support for Ohtani in Japanese language publications including Nikkei, Asahi, Yomiuri, Mainichi, Sankei, and Sports Hochi. In other countries and regions where baseball is popular it will also appear in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and Honolulu Star-Advertiser in the United States, Financial Times in Europe, Chosun Ilbo in Korea, and Herald Sun in Australia, to name just a few out of the more than 60 international publications.
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■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.
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TQPR Thailand
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