Shohei Ohtani Partners with Ito En to Promote Japanese Matcha Globally

Shohei Ohtani Teams Up with Ito En to Bring Japanese Matcha to the World

On March 13, 2026, Ito En, Ltd. — one of Japan's largest and most respected tea companies — officially launched a landmark global campaign centered on Japanese matcha. Under the headline "日本の抹茶を、世界へ。Move Matcha Forward." (literally: "Japanese Matcha, to the World. Move Matcha Forward."), the campaign features global baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani as its ambassador, aiming to elevate awareness of authentic Japanese matcha both domestically and internationally.

Why This Campaign Matters to the Global Matcha Market

This campaign arrives at a pivotal moment for the Japanese tea industry. According to Japan's Ministry of Finance trade statistics (2025), Japan's tea exports have surpassed 10,000 metric tons annually for the first time in approximately 70 years, with total export value also reaching a record high. Matcha in particular has been driving this surge, fueled by growing consumer interest in health-forward beverages across the United States, Europe, and beyond.

For café owners, restaurant operators, and beverage buyers sourcing Japanese matcha in the US market, this is a significant signal: Japanese matcha is transitioning from a niche specialty item to a mainstream global ingredient. Ito En's decision to commit major marketing resources — including billboard advertising in Tokyo's Shibuya district and full-page color ads in the Nikkei Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun on March 14 — reflects institutional confidence in sustained long-term demand.

A Looming Supply Challenge You Should Know About

While demand is accelerating, the supply side of Japan's tea industry faces serious structural challenges. Ito En's press release explicitly acknowledges an aging farming workforce and a shortage of successors in tea-producing regions, creating supply constraints that could tighten availability in coming years.

Ito En has been proactively addressing this since 1976 through contract farming arrangements with tea growers, covering all harvesting seasons from first flush (ichibancha — the highest-quality spring harvest) through autumn/winter crops. Since 2001, the company has also converted abandoned farmland into new tea-growing estates under a dedicated "tea-producing region development program," providing technical support to growers to ensure sustainable production. Despite these efforts, the gap between rising global demand and constrained domestic supply is a reality that importers and buyers should factor into their sourcing strategies.

Shohei Ohtani Sips Matcha — And Calls It "Oishuu Gozaimasu"

Beyond the advertising campaign, Ito En also released a short video clip in which Ohtani is shown enjoying a bowl of the company's premium thin matcha (usucha), "Waetsu (和悦)", whisked by an Ito En employee using the traditional method. After tasting it, Ohtani remarked "美味しゅうございます" (oishuu gozaimasu) — a formal, refined Japanese expression meaning "This is truly delicious" — with a calm and satisfied expression.

Note on terminology: Usucha (御薄茶) refers to "thin matcha," a style of prepared matcha made with a smaller amount of matcha powder and more hot water, producing a lighter, frothy cup. This is the most commonly served style in everyday Japanese tea ceremony settings, as opposed to koicha (濃茶), or "thick matcha," which uses a higher ratio of powder.

The "Waetsu" matcha featured in the video is a premium ceremonial-grade product made from hand-picked new shoots from select tea gardens. Its name — meaning "mutual warmth and joy" — was bestowed by the Grand Tea Master of the Ura Senke school of tea ceremony (Urasenke Konnichiwa Zabosai Oiemoto), one of Japan's most prestigious tea ceremony lineages, to commemorate the start of Japan's Reiwa era. A 30g tin retails in Japan for ¥8,640 (tax included), placing it firmly in the premium ceremonial category.

What This Means for US Cafés and Matcha Buyers

Campaigns of this scale have historically accelerated consumer demand in Western markets. When a figure of Ohtani's global profile is visibly associated with matcha culture — whisking, drinking, and expressing genuine enjoyment — it reinforces matcha's cultural authenticity and premiumness in the eyes of US consumers. For cafés and foodservice operators importing Japanese matcha:

Demand signals are strong and growing. Record export volumes and major brand campaigns confirm that matcha's mainstream crossover is not a passing trend.

Supply tightness is a real risk. Japan's aging farming base and land constraints mean securing reliable, high-quality supply relationships early is increasingly important.

Provenance and story matter more than ever. Consumers are increasingly interested in where their matcha comes from, how it was grown, and the traditions behind it — factors that campaigns like Ito En's actively amplify.

Watch the Campaign Video

Ito En has made the campaign video publicly available. You can watch Shohei Ohtani enjoy a bowl of ceremonial matcha here:

Source:
Ito En, Ltd. News Release (March 13, 2026) — "Move Matcha Forward" Campaign Announcement
https://www.itoen.co.jp/news/article/84027/