ITO EN Launches Limited-Edition Oi Ocha Green Tea Bottle Featuring Global Brand Ambassador Shohei Ohtani

ITO EN set to energize the U.S. beverage market for the start of the 2025 MLB season with specialty Shohei Ohtani Oi Ocha bottles

NEW YORK, March 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ITO EN Ltd., (President and Executive Officer: Daisuke Honjo, Headquarters: Shibuya, Tokyo), the world's No. 1 unsweetened green tea beverage brand (*1), is thrilled to announce a special limited-edition Oi Ocha bottle featuring its All-Star Global Brand Ambassador, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

While supplies last, fans and tea enthusiasts alike can look forward to this unique collector's item featuring Ohtani in casual clothes, which is now available at mass, local, specialty retailers, and Japanese-affiliated mass retailers across the United States as well as on Amazon. A second special-edition bottle showcasing Ohtani in his distinctive Los Angeles Dodgers uniform will be released this May.

"Whether enjoyed at home or the baseball field, we're thrilled to bring limited-edition Shohei Ohtani Oi Ocha bottles to the United States as they promise a refreshing taste of Japan while offering a tribute to Ohtani, a world-class athlete in baseball," added Daisuke Honjo, President and Executive Officer of ITO EN.

"This year marks the second year of my relationship with ITO EN. I have loved Oi Ocha since I was a child, and I still drink it in LA. ITO EN and I will continue to work together to spread the appeal of tea to people all over the world, so please keep an eye on us," said Ohtani.

Grounded in a deep history of shared values and culture, Ohtani's ambassadorship with ITO EN emphasizes the balanced blend of tradition and modernity. Extending beyond a mere endorsement, his connection to Oi Ocha reflects a very natural and organic partnership as he describes it as an indispensable part of his daily routine, enjoyed regularly from childhood until now and essential to his pre-game preparations to help him maintain focus. A portion of the proceeds from the Ohtani bottle will be used for the social contribution project "Green Tea for Good" launched with Ohtani last year. As part of this project in the U.S., ITO EN employees planted cherry trees in Torrance, California. In Hawaii, they carried out a clean-up activity at Kapiolani Park on Oahu.

With this release, ITO EN continues to reinforce its position as a leader in the green tea industry, sharing the rich heritage and health benefits of Japanese tea culture with the world. To learn more about ITO EN and Oi Ocha, please visit www.itoen.com.

About "Oi Ocha," The World's No. 1 Green Tea Beverage Brand
"Oi Ocha" is ITO EN's flagship brand and the world's No. 1(*1) unsweetened green tea beverage brand, and at the end of December 2024, its cumulative sales volume has surpassed 45 billion bottles (*2) since its launch in 1989.

Tea has permeated into our lives as a communication tool that connects people with each other and is referred to as an everyday drink. Since the launch of its predecessor product, the world's first green tea drink "Sencha in a can" in 1985, our "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. The company has continued to grow based on its ability to procure high-quality raw materials (tea leaves) through initiatives such as the tea-growing business. Overseas, the value of "Oi Ocha" has been well received, and the number of customers (fans) who enjoy drinking "Oi Ocha" is steadily increasing in North America, Southeast Asia, etc. As of March 2024, the product is sold in more than 40 countries and regions.

(*1) Certified by Guinness World Records™
INTAGE SRI+ Unsweetened Tea Beverage Market Data January-December 2023
"Oi Ocha" Brand Sales Value
Official English record name: Largest unsweetened green tea RTD brand - retail, current
Recorded brands: "Oi Ocha" brand (excluding "Oi Ocha" hojicha products)
Target year: January - December 2023
(*2) 500ml PET bottle equivalent

ITO EN Company Overview
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" around the world as a representative Japanese brand, 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 technology and value chain of the ITO EN Group. Through the strong partnerships that we have built with all those who have been involved with us since our founding, we will contribute to the healthy and prosperous lives of our customers in Japan and around the world.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE ITO EN