Ito En makes Oi Ocha, the best-selling bottled green tea in Japan, and calls it the world’s No. 1 unsweetened green tea beverage brand. Its bet abroad is a hard one: persuading consumers in the United States, where iced tea usually means sweet tea, to drink green tea with no sugar. Baseball sponsorships, health trends and Asian grocery chains are now helping.
The Company That Put Green Tea in a Bottle
Ito En started as a tea-leaf wholesaler and retailer. It changed how Japanese people drink tea through a series of packaging firsts:
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Launches the world’s first canned green tea, sold as “Kan-iri Sencha” |
| 1989 | Renames it Oi Ocha, from the Japanese phrase for “Some tea, please!” |
| 1990 | Launches the first green tea in a PET plastic bottle (1.5 litres) |
| 1996 | Introduces the 500 ml PET bottle, the format now sold in Japanese convenience stores and vending machines |
Ito En now buys about a quarter of all the crude tea produced in Japan, which makes it the largest buyer in the country’s tea industry. It also signs long-term contracts with farmers and helps build new tea plantations.
The American Challenge
Selling the unsweetened version
Ito En set up a US subsidiary in Hawaii in 1987, and Oi Ocha reached the mainland in 2001. At first it was sold mainly in natural-food stores and Asian supermarkets. The obstacle was taste. American bottled iced tea was usually sweetened, and an unsweetened, slightly bitter green tea was unfamiliar to most shoppers.
Ito En has kept its US focus on unsweetened tea. Besides Oi Ocha, it sells unsweetened lines such as Teas’ Tea in the US. It has also launched a less bitter version for drinkers new to green tea. More than 75% of Ito En’s beverage volume is now unsweetened.
Still a small player
The US market is still very large compared with Ito En’s share of it. According to Beverage Marketing Corporation figures reported in 2025, Ito En has about 2% of the US tea beverage market and ranks eighth. Unilever’s Pure Leaf is the leader. A roughly 10% US price increase in 2022 was followed by a drop of about 5% in sales.
Shohei Ohtani and the MLB Push
Ito En’s strongest marketing asset is Shohei Ohtani, who has spoken publicly about drinking Oi Ocha. In January 2025 Ito En signed a partnership with Major League Baseball covering both Japan and the United States. It also signed a separate deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the Los Angeles area.
The aim is to bring Oi Ocha to American fans who are not already familiar with Japanese food. Japan’s green tea exports reached a record 36.4 billion yen in 2024, and almost half went to the US. That gives Ito En a growing category to compete in.
Growth Channels and Risks
- Asian supermarkets and e-commerce — The company’s own results show strong North American growth in green tea, roasted green tea and roasted rice tea through these channels.
- Tea bags and leaf tea — Matcha and tea-bag products give Ito En a second route into US homes, separate from bottled drinks.
- Tariffs — Ito En bottles its drinks in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. US tariffs on imports in 2025 led it to set a lower profit target for the US. It is considering US bottling and US tea-bag production.
Why It Matters for Overseas Partners
- Retailers — Unsweetened green tea fits demand for low-sugar and functional drinks. Ito En has the supply chain and brand history to back it.
- Distributors and food-service buyers — Ito En offers bottled tea, tea bags and matcha, which suits buyers who want one supplier for several tea products.
- Investors — North America is Ito En’s main growth market outside Japan. Watch for a decision on US bottling, which would show how much the company is willing to invest there.
Conclusion
Ito En built Japan’s bottled green tea industry by putting a traditional drink into cans and plastic bottles. In the US it is still trying to change a habit: getting people to drink iced tea with no sugar. With help from health trends, Ohtani and Major League Baseball, its unsweetened bet is gaining ground, but it remains a small player in the US market.
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