〈World Food Day on October 16〉 Marks the Start of a New Campaign on the Theme of Meals that Support Everyday Life

ITOCHU Announces the Appearance of Ai Tominaga, Evangelist for ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO Featured in 5 Newspaper Ads

October 15, 2021

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Keita Ishii, President & COO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that the start of a new campaign on the theme of meals that support everyday life timed to coincide with World Food Day on Saturday, October 16.

ITOCHU has set "enhancing its contribution to and engagement with the SDGs through business activities" as one of the Basic Policies in its Medium-term Management Plan "Brand-new Deal 2023" and opened the ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO on April 15, 2021 to provide a space where individuals have the opportunity to engage with the SDGs in their own way. On Friday, October 15, we ran five different newspaper ads featuring Ai Tominaga, evangelist for the ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO. Following the ads, we will also release a new TV commercial starting October 16 (World Food Day) expressing how foods are relayed around the world. We are also organizing an experience-based exhibition on food, “What makes a nice meal?” at ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO, our center for raising awareness about the SDGs.

New Newspaper Ad

The aim of the new five ads is to set the stage for SDG actions that are concerned with food, which support everyday life, and to freely imagine the world before and beyond the act of eating in the run-up to World Food Day on October 16. We used five different visuals featuring Ai Tominaga, the evangelist for ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO, to express our hopes as a lifestyle general trading company.

Copy excerpt


Meals are essential for us to stay alive. Because the body is created from the foods we put in our mouths. Thinking about it like this, you definitely want to eat foods that are good for your body. I also think it would be even better if we could be kinder to the planet. To take action, it is important to first take an interest. The sponge you use every day, what is it made of, what are some ways to reduce waste? If you start from what you know, I think your interests will quickly widen.

Profile of Ai Tominaga
She made a big splash at the age of 17 with her debut at New York Fashion Week. She has been in the frontlines of fashion as a top international model ever since. In parallel with her modeling career, she has taken on new challenges as an actress and as a TV, radio and event personality. A supermodel with an unprecedented career in Japan, she is now venturing into new fields such as charity and philanthropy, as well as introducing traditional Japanese culture to people in Japan and abroad.
JOICFP Ambassador, Ethical Lifestyle SDGs Ambassador (Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency), ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO Evangelist

New CM "Life is the Universe. Food Relay" edition

With the slogan "Dear LIFE Everyday Life is the Universe," this CM is the second installment of the films that communicate the ITOCHU vision. This time, the theme is meals in daily life, and the film uses vibrant point of view shots to portray the story of the ITOCHU “food relay” that connects foods and producers around the world.

<Narration Excerpt>

(New CM details) URL:https://www.itochu.co.jp/ja/corporatebranding/topics/2021/movie_fall.html

The experience-based exhibition Before Itadakimasu, Beyond Gochisosama—What makes a nice meal?

For one month from Saturday October 16 to Sunday November 14, we will host the exhibition Before Itadakimasu, Beyond Gochisosama. What Makes a Nice Meal? at ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO, which is our center for raising awareness about the SDGs.
At this exhibition, we will show and sell three kinds of lunch boxes with lots of knowledge and experience of sustainable foods, including the Fermentation Beauty Lunch Box produced by Ai Tominaga. We will also prepare panel displays that introduce five perspectives on different foods for Before Itadakimasu, Beyond Gochisosama, and a Gacha game for handing out prizes for various food experiences available on site.

Image of the main exhibits and experiences (* Please note that the content may change.)

1. Panel display/sales of three kinds of lunch boxes with lots of knowledge and experience of sustainable foods
Three kinds of lunch boxes have been developed for this exhibition including the Fermentation Beauty Lunch Box (at left) produced by Ai Tominaga, the evangelist for ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO, the Future Lunch Box (at center), where you can compare what we eat now with the food of the future, and the No Waste Lunch Box (at right) for enjoying the taste of ingredients that are normally thrown away. In addition to displays that introduce the food knowledge and experience that has gone into each of the lunch boxes, we plan to sell a limited number of 30 lunch boxes per day priced at 1000 yen (including tax) during the exhibition.

Fermentation Beauty Lunch Box Produced by Ai Tominaga
Shio koji salmon
Brown rice with green soybeans and hijiki
Soy-cured boiled egg
Greens and bean sprouts, shio koji namul with shimeji mushroom
Spicy konnyaku
Marinated peppers

Future Lunch Box Produced by CRAZY KITCHEN
(Present)
Deep-fried chicken with tartare sauce
Three-color soboro rice
 - White rice
 - Minced chicken
 - Egg
 - Sakura shrimp and squid ink furikake
Marinated traditional vegetables
 - Roasted Seinaiji pumpkin
 - Confit of Jingoemon potato
 - Marinade with Kotohata turnips, Odagiri daikon, and scallops
 - Pickled Sugibashi red turnip
(Future)
Deep-fried soy meat with tartare sauce
Three-color soboro rice
 - Konnyaku rice
 - Soy meat soboro
 - Egg substitute
 - Cricket furikake
Marinated vegetables
 - Roasted pumpkin
 - Mashed taro root
 - Mini-vegetable dip with marinated MSC certified scallops
 - Pickled watermelon radish

No Waste Lunch Box Produced by CRAZY KITCHEN
Bread Crust Sandwiches
  - Fish sandwich with fillet of white sturgeon
  (lettuce, red cabbage marinade, tartare sauce)
  - Wild boar hamburger sandwich
  (tomato, lettuce & kale, egg, apple compote, sauce)

Marinade of non-standard vegetables
(pesto of shimeji, king trumpet mushroom, shimeji mycelia, perilla)
Grated non-standard carrots

<Lunch box sales>
Fermentation Beauty Lunch Box: Saturday October 16 to Sunday October 31
Future Lunch Box: Tuesday November 2 to Sunday November 7
No Waste Lunch Box: Tuesday November 9 to Sunday November 14

Location: ITOCHU Garden premises, purpose-built spaces along Aoyama-dori (in case of rain, at the STUDIO)
Hours: 11:30-14:00 (doors close when sold out)
※No sales on Mondays as ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO is closed.

2. Panel displays introducing five perspectives on Before Itadakimasu, Beyond Gochisosama

The displays introduce the world before and beyond the act of eating, which is something we take for granted. By telling you about the context and issues before you eat your meal, and the solutions and ideas beyond finishing your meal, the displays provide an opportunity to put your mind to what you can do.

3. Play A NICE MEAL? Gacha game to win prizes for various taste experiences

We will prepare Gacha games for all followers of the ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO official Instagram account. You can win all kinds of food experiences such as banana cake made with non-standard bananas, soy meat, cricket soy sauce, konnyaku rice, popcorn made with FairTrade cocoa, or chips made from vegetable waste.

Outline of the Before Itadakimasu, Beyond Gochisosama Exhibition

Sponsors ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO
Period 11:00-18:00 from Saturday October 16 to Sunday November 14
※Closing days: Every Monday If a public holiday falls on a Monday, the following day is a closing day
Venue ITOCHU SDGs STUDIO (Itochu Garden B1F, 2-3-1 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo)
Admission Free of charge

◆Cultural platform which provides opportunities to communicate information about and experience the SDGs from various perspectives and connects people, business and the planet
◆Free provision of exhibition space and filming and photo shoot space for social media etc. to organizations involved in activities related to the SDGs (Around 6 exhibitions a year)
◆Establishment of radio booth to raise public awareness about SDGs in radio program named after ITOCHU "J-WAVE SELECTION ITOCHU DEAR LIFE, DEAR FUTURE" (Program presenter: SHELLY)

Location: Itochu Garden at ITOCHU Tokyo Head Office
Official website URL: https://www.itochu.co.jp/ja/corporatebranding/#SDGsstudioArea