Ito En: Ito En


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Rona Tison Elizabeth Kellogg ITO EN (North America) INC. CKPR (707) 327-6413 (212) 251-1210 rtison@itoen.com ekellogg@ckpr.biz ITO EN TEAMS UP WITH ETOWN TO SPONSOR NATIONWIDE CHALLENGE – THE HAIKU CELEBRATION Select Entries will Appear on the Labels of TEAS’ TEA Bottles

NEW YORK (January, 2008) – ITO EN, renowned for its loose leaf and ready-to-drink green tea beverages, with Etown, a variety-style national radio program, are calling all writers to submit an original haiku poem to the first “North American Haiku Celebration.” The participants will be vying for a chance to see their writing on supermarket shelves across the country. The top 13 submissions will appear on the labels of ITO EN’s line of TEAS’ TEA beverages. "As a Japanese-based company, we are proud to sponsor an event that values traditional haiku and encourages our consumers to discover the power of writing," states Rona Tison, senior vice president of corporate relations for ITO EN (North America) INC. “Printing the winning poems on the bottles of the TEAS’ TEA beverage line allows us to showcase the beauty of haiku in a unique and unusual way.” The “North American Haiku Celebration,” which kicked off on January 11, 2008 and runs through August 31, 2008, allows participants to submit one haiku per day to etown.org that expresses the theme assigned to a particular month. The themes will be announced each month on the Etown broadcast and will be posted online at etown.org and itoen.com.		*What is Haiku?* Haiku is a kind of Japanese poetry. In English, haiku are written as three lines. The first line consists of five syllables, the second line contains seven syllables, and the last line is made up of five syllables. A haiku traditionally contains a season word (the kigo) representative of the season or a reference to the natural world. *What is an example of Haiku?* Wisps of fog hover Over the sleeping valley A lone rooster crows (Source: Dan Hall; previous ITO EN Haiku winner)
All eligible submissions will be reviewed by a panel of qualified judges comprised of staff members from ITO EN, Etown and others. Two winners will be determined on a monthly basis from entries received during that month from January through May, and one winner will be determined on a monthly basis from entries received during that month from June through August for a total of 13 winning submissions. Winning Haiku’s will be announced on the 11th day of each month. In addition to appearing on the label of TEAS’ TEA beverages, each winning submission will be read on an Etown broadcast and featured on etown.org and itoen.com. Etown, a nationwide radio program that is broadcast out of Boulder, CO and taped in front of a live studio audience, partnered with ITO EN on this challenge as a way to provide quality content to an audience who values new and exciting approaches to the arts. “We love the connection between healthy living, live music, and writing,” states executive producer of Etown, Nick Forester. “What’s more, this gives us all a chance to be more creative and have fun with it.” Equally excited about the newly formed partnership, Beau Bernstein, creative director and marketing manager for ITO EN (North America), states, "We are pleased to be teaming up with Etown. Their dynamic variety show format and diverse audience is the perfect formula for a successful and fun Haiku event.” For more information, official rules and complete terms and conditions, please visit etown.org and itoen.com. About ITO EN 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 position itself as the first company to create a patented method of bottling green tea in a manner that carefully preserves its distinct flavor and integrity. ITO EN’s 2007 expansion into mainstream markets and partnership with Dr. Andrew Weil, a leading expert in the field of integrative medicine, has helped secure the company’s position in the U.S. marketplace. Additional information can be accessed through www.itoen.com. About Etown Etown, a nationwide radio program heard coast-to-coast, is taped in front of live studio audience and features performances from many of today's top musical artists as well as conversation and information about the community and environment. www.etown.org