Ogawa Group Renews Sponsorship Contract with Professional Basketball Team "Earth Friends Tokyo Z"

TOKYO, Japan - Ogawa Chikusan Shokuhin Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Shinagawa, Tokyo; President & CEO: Teruhiro Ogawa; URL: https://www.ogawa-group.co.jp/), a wholesaler of Japanese wagyu and domestic beef and pork established in 1938, has renewed its Silver Sponsor contract with the professional basketball team "Earth Friends Tokyo Z" (Operated by: GWC Co., Ltd.; Head Office: Ota, Tokyo; President: Katsuyuki Yamano; URL: https://eftokyo-z.jp/), which competes in the B.LEAGUE B3 division. The sponsorship partnership with Earth Friends Tokyo Z began in 2018 and enters its 8th season this year.

The banner of the Ogawa Group displayed at the venue of a home game

Background of Professional Sports Support

High-quality protein intake is an essential element supporting athletic performance. Since our founding in 1938, our company has built a top-class track record in wagyu and domestic beef trading volume at the Tokyo Meat Market over 86 years, supporting people's dietary lives through the supply of safe, high-quality meat products. Based on this business foundation and recognizing the natural affinity between "food" and sports, the Ogawa Group continues to support professional sports teams.

About This Sponsorship Contract Renewal

Since 2018, the Ogawa Group has resonated with Earth Friends Tokyo Z's philosophy of helping "children and young people of the next generation discover the joy of 'challenging' and 'striving toward their dreams,'" "contributing to the realization of a 'diversity society' where people recognize diversity and can strive together," and "wanting to be a force in creating communities where people can have dreams and hope," and has continuously supported the team's activities.

Furthermore, Earth Friends Tokyo Z, based in Ota Ward, and our company, which has operated in Shinagawa Ward for over 80 years, have both grown on the same soil of the Jonan area. This regional connection and the shared desire to "revitalize the region as organizations both based in the same Jonan area" have been the driving force supporting our 8-year partnership. This convergence of shared philosophy and regional sentiment has led to this sponsorship contract renewal.

Previous Initiatives with Earth Friends Tokyo Z

Throughout our 8-year partnership, our company and Earth Friends Tokyo Z have implemented various collaboration projects that go beyond mere sponsorship.

In product collaboration projects, we distributed year-end sale flyers from our directly operated butcher shop "Ogawa Livestock Head Store" at game venues in late 2020, implementing a special campaign where purchasers received posters signed by all players.

We have also actively engaged in video content production, creating unique content such as projects where players tried our prepared foods while taking on quiz challenges, and "Wagyu A5 vs A3 Expert Eye Challenge" to communicate the high quality of our ingredients. These videos received significant response, with many customers commenting that "the unexpected combination of basketball and meat products is interesting" and "it's enjoyable to see the players' genuine personalities."

As employee participation events, we regularly organize group game viewing by employee volunteers centered around our company's internal basketball team members. In February this year, 31 employees gathered at Ota Ward General Gymnasium to cheer for the players as one.

Commemorative photo after watching the game

Future Initiatives

The Ogawa Group will continue to support Earth Friends Tokyo Z's activities as a Silver Sponsor this season. We will also deepen our partnership with the team through implementing even more creative collaboration projects and enhancing employee participation events.

About Ogawa Chikusan Shokuhin Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1938 as Ogawa Shoten, the company primarily operates a meat supply business while developing a wide range of businesses including intermediate distribution, directly operated restaurant management, retail meat sales, and production operations. In recent years, the company has been promoting the expansion of comprehensive food-related businesses, including overseas export operations.

Company Name: Ogawa Chikusan Shokuhin Co., Ltd.

Head Office: 2-4-18 Futaba, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-0043, Japan

Representative: President & CEO Teruhiro Ogawa

Capital: 80 million yen

Employees: 109 (as of April 2024)

Business Operations: ① Processing, sales, and wholesale of beef and pork ② Food service business ③ Restaurant business