The Oi Ocha brand was launched by ITO EN in 1989, following the success of its “Canned Sencha” brand that debuted in 1985. The brand is derived from the Japanese phrase, “Oi, ocha!” brand which is a way of calling out, “It’s tea time!” or “Tea, please!”– part of the warm, everyday conversations heard in Japanese homes. The Oi Ocha beverage brand is now one of the most familiar brands in the Japanese beverage market. It is the number one brand among green tea beverage products, second-highest sales among all beverage brands.
The Oi Ocha brand is also used in the marketing of tea leaf products. ITO EN’s roots as a specialist tea company may also be seen in its position today as Japan’s largest tea company, handling over 20% of all the green tea grown in Japan, and the Oi Ocha brand is also ITO EN’s main brand for tea leaf products.
The bottle in the picture is the strong-tasting variation of the Oi Ocha (Ryokucha). I like its balance between astringency and full-bodied flavor as well as the green tea fragrance.
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