New York, NY (July 2009) – ITO EN (North America), INC., the world’s leading purveyor of green tea products and beverages, announced three winners of their “Haiku Project 2009.” The winning haikus will grace the bottles of ITO EN’s award-winning tea line, TEAS’ TEA, a naturally brewed ready-to-drink tea line that is rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C. Each haiku will convey a special message under the theme of “Change”, “Hope” and “Progress”.

Inspired by the spirit of change in our country today, participants were invited to submit a haiku reflecting their thoughts and vision of tomorrow based around Change, Hope and Progress. Haiku, a Japanese poem in three metrical phrases with the number of syllables of 5, 7 and 5, respectively, is a time honored medium to express important messages. The winning haikus were judged on the poetic eloquence evoking this special theme. The three(3) winners are Susan Lopes, Tobe Roberts and Diana Rosen.

“As a Japanese based company, we are thrilled to share the beauty of haiku in a unique and unusual way. We congratulate the winners on their winning haikus and look forward to sharing the power of their writing with our many customers”.

About ITO EN (North America)

ITO EN (North America), a subsidiary of ITO EN, LTD., is the nation’s leading purveyor of green tea products and beverages. The company is an innovator in the beverage industry, marketing award winning Japanese tea lines in the U.S., including: TEAS’ TEA, the Traditional Japanese Tea, Natural Fruit, and ITO EN Shots. With a New York City flagship store (voted Best Tea Shop by the Zagat Survey of New York City Gourmet Market Places) and four-star authentic Japanese restaurants (KAI & Donguri), ITO EN is uniquely positioned as a pioneer in the tea industry. For more information, please visit www.ItoEn.com.