Fasten Your Seatbelts For A Summer Drive With TEAS’ TEA ITO EN, Japan’s Largest Green Tea Purveyor, Launches U.S. Promotion With Hybrid Toyota Prius and Patagonia

New York, NY – Consumers who purchase the TEAS’ TEA brand of ready-to-drink teas may also be holding the keys to a 2006 Toyota Prius in the palm of their hands. Beginning in May, ITO EN (North America) Inc., manufacturer of TEAS’ TEA, will team up with Toyota to deliver a consumer promotion that perfectly complements the brand’s ‘green’ message. Currently holding the first, second and fifth fastest selling SKU’s in the natural tea category, TEAS’ TEA will draw attention to the promotion with eye-catching Point-of-Sale materials to drive purchase. In addition to Toyota’s Prius – a Consumer Reports top pick for 2006 automobiles, consumers can also win a PCR (Post Consumer Recycled) fleece from Patagonia and coupons for free bottles of TEAS’ TEA. Accounts thus far confirmed to run the promotion include Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Dean & DeLuca and Target.

“This is a really unique promotion that brings together three brands that are interconnected through their environmental concerns,” said Rona Tison, vice president of corporate relations for ITO EN LTD (North America), Inc. “Not only is our tea all natural, but our bottles are 100% recyclable plastic which is in synch with Patagonia’s PCR fleece and the Prius’ fuel efficient engine. These are brands that consumers can really feel good about purchasing and certainly a promotion in which they will want to participate.”

Point-Of-Sale materials that will immediately spark interest and attention among consumers include tear pads, case cards and danglers. To participate in the promotion, consumers can enter on-line at www.TEASTEA.com or via a mail-in entry. To order materials, please contact Yoshie Yano Pennings on 718.250.4024.

Ready-to-drink teas are one of the fastest growing beverages, up 22% in all channels. TEAS’ TEA has added 6.8 points to this growth and is currently ranked overall as the number three natural RTD tea and is gaining share with a 108% growth rate.

Since establishing their U.S. operations in 2001, Tokyo-based ITO EN LTD. has introduced the green tea culture to the American market through the TEAS’ TEA line of all natural, unsweetened ready-to-drink teas as well as through their New York City based retail and restaurant divisions. The ITO EN Tea Shop, located on Manhattan’s Madison Avenue, has received the 2005 and 2006 Zagat Gourmet Marketplace award for ‘Best Tea’ and the company also operates the renowned KAI and Donguri restaurants in New York City. TEAS’ TEA recently received the ‘Best Flavor’ and ‘Best Packaging’ awards from the World Tea Expo and has been chosen as the tea of choice in San Francisco’s Hotel Vitale and Four-Star Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery.

In Japan, ITO EN LTD. is renowned as a trendsetter in the tea and beverage industries. The company was the first to produce an unsweetened, 100% naturally brewed canned green tea beverage, pioneering an entirely new market for green tea.

To access more information or order from the entire line of ITO EN products, please visit www.itoen.com.

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ITO EN (North America) INC., a subsidiary of ITO EN, LTD., the world's leading artisan of green tea leaves and green tea beverages, imports and markets TEAS’ TEA, Sencha Shot, Tea Lemon and Tea Apple in the United States. The TEAS’ TEA brand urges consumers to "Drink for your self®," a tag line which appears on each bottle, to taste the distinction of a beverage that is healthy and designed for an active lifestyle. The ITO EN Tea Shop, on New York City’s Madison Avenue, was voted Best Tea Shop by the 2006 and 2005 Zagat Survey of New York City Gourmet Market Places.

Established in 1966, Japan-based ITO EN, LTD. was founded to market green tea, a traditional Japanese beverage. Today, ITO EN, LTD. is firmly positioned as the world's leading supplier of green tea leaves and green tea beverages, developing a steady stream of new products that specifically address customer needs and lifestyles. Known as a trendsetter in Japan's beverage industry, intensive research and development has allowed the company to cultivate better tea, and positioned them as the first company to create a patented method of bottling green tea in a manner that carefully preserves its distinct flavor and integrity. Additional information can be accessed through www.itoen.com.

Press Contact: Patrick Morris
518-272-2400, ext. 12