ITOCHU Announces Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Support Plan: "3.11 Tabete oen shiyo [Let's support by eating]! Takata no Yume Project in Aoyama" Campaign to Support the Disaster Area in the Aoyama District

February 29, 2016

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Masahiro Okafuji, President & CEO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) is promoting the sale of Takata no Yume, a brand of rice from Rikuzen-Takata City, Iwate Prefecture at department stores including Ginza Mitsukoshi through ITOCHU Food Sales and Marketing Co., Ltd. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Hideyori Kondo, President & CEO; hereinafter ITOCHU Food Sales and Marketing)

ITOCHU will collaborate with ITOCHU Food Sales and Marketing to hold the “3.11 Tabete oen shiyo! Takata no Yume Project in Aoyama” Campaign in the Aoyama district.
Endorsed participating food establishments from Omotesando to the Aoayama district will be supplied with Takata no Yume free of charge, with each store using Takata no Yume for rice items in their lunchtime menus. By introducing more people to the taste of Takata no Yume, the event, now in its second year, will act as a support activity for the disaster area.
Five years on from the Great East Japan Earthquake, the disaster-affected areas still face many challenges and will continue to need long-term support in the future. The ITOCHU Group prays for the speedy recovery of the areas affected by the disaster and is committed to providing ongoing support to these affected areas over the long term.

Outline of the campaign

Title of campaign “3.11 Tabete oen shiyo! Takata no Yume Project in Aoyama”
Date and time Friday, March 11, 2016, lunchtime *Takata no Yume will also feature in dinner menus at some establishments.
Participating locations 20 stores (see map for locations of participating establishments)
Aoyama Gakuin University Student Dining Hall, Aoyama Hidamari, Edible Garden, Oedo Kita-Aoyama CI Plaza, Kyona, Kotori Shokudo, Sign Gaienmae, Sagami, Tama, Takumi Café AOTTO, Thali Ya Shin Aoyama Building, Teshigoto Cuisine Maruyama, Tomitoku, Natural Dining L’Artisan, Hibiyaen, Masudaya Jingumae, Mizugameya, Yabusoba CI Plaza, Yamato Minami Aoyama, Menya Umekichi, Little Linda

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About Takata no Yume

Takata no Yume is a new rice variety launched in 2013 by Rikuzen-Takata City after suffering devastating damage from the tsunami, with the aim of establishing it as a proprietary brand for the region, assuring regional competitiveness and creating a symbol of agricultural recovery. The city invited the public to suggest a name that would have strong nationwide appeal, and the winning name was chosen since the project literally carries the dreams of Rikuzen-Takata City. ITOCHU has been providing volunteers from among its employees to assist with rice planting from June through to October when the rice is harvested. Distribution of the rice by ITOCHU Food Sales and Marketing began in November 2013. ITOCHU’s efforts to support the affected areas through its main business activities cover the entire process from production to distribution and promotion. Such initiatives led to the “ITOCHU Takata no Yume Project” being awarded the “Tabete oen shiyo prize” at the Food Action Nippon Awards 2015 sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.

ITOCHU Takata no Yume Project: http://www.itochu.co.jp/ja/earthquake/takatanoyume/

Connection between ITOCHU and Rikuzen-Takata City, Iwate Prefecture

Rikuzen-Takata City is a region that volunteers from among ITOCHU employees have been visiting regularly since December 2011. ITOCHU also provides ongoing support through the ITOCHU Children’s Dreams Fund, including support for extracurricular activities in junior high schools and for tours by all youth baseball teams in Rikuzen-Takata City.