Tokyo Banana (東京ばな奈, also written 東京バナナ or 東京ばなな with the same pronunciation) is a Japanese banana-shaped sponge cake with cream filling. It is the official souvenir sweet of Tokyo and is manufactured and sold by Grapestone Co. [ja].

Tokyo Banana

Tokyo Bananas come in many different flavors and are usually packaged individually in plastic. The original flavor is known as Tokyo Banana Miitsuketa (見ぃつけたっ), and is filled with a banana custard cream.[1] The cream filling uses strained banana puree. After baking, the sponge cake is steamed to bring out a soft texture.

Tokyo Banana Miitsuketa is manufactured at MASDAC Corporation's factory in Tokorozawa, Saitama. Tokyo Bananas are sold across stores in Tokyo and in several major Japanese airports.[2]

History

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Tokyo Banana Miitsuketa (見ぃつけたっ), the original banana custard flavor, first went on sale in 1991.[3] Even before Tokyo Banana, there were a large number of souvenir cakes in Tokyo, but Tokyo Banana was the first to include "Tokyo" in its product name.

As of 2016, the yearly sales are roughly 4 billion yen.[4]

The first store selling Tokyo Banana outside of Tokyo was established in Osaka by Grapestone in April 2020 as travel slumped during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] In 2022, a new flagship store dedicated solely to Tokyo Banana products was opened in Tokyo Station.[6]

Tokyo Banana Series

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A picture of Tokyo Banana Miitsuketa
  • Tokyo Banana Miitsuketa
A banana shaped sweet full of banana custard wrapped in a fluffy sponge. Best consumed within 7 days of purchase, though refrigeration can stretch this a bit.[3]
  • Tokyo Banana Miitsuketa caramel flavour
Caramel banana custard cream wrapped up in a caramel coloured and flavoured sponge. Went on sale on August 10th 2011 celebrating 20 years of sales of Tokyo Banana.
  • Tokyo Choco Banana
Banana cream inside chocolate. It becomes banana mint flavour "Summer Choco" in the summer season (mid May - mid September).
  • Tokyo Banana Pie
Folded up banana flavoured biscuit dough and pastry.
  • Fresh Cream Puff
Cream and banana custard cream puff.
  • Tokyo Banana Raisin Sandwich
Rum-raisin banana ganache sandwiched between banana scented cookies.
Banana anko in a moist outer layer.
  • Moist Baumkuchen
3 layers of cake mixture layered atop one another and moistly baked baumkuchen
  • Tokyo Banana Fresh Moist Baumkuchen
  • Tokyo Banana Baumkuchen Brule
  • Tokyo Banana Roll Cake <Choco Banana>
  • Tokyo Banana Miitsuketa Gaufrette
  • Tokyo Banana Ai to Sachi (new product August 2008)
  • Ice Monaka

Products sold in the past

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Kuro Bei

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  • Tokyo Banana Kuro Bei (jp:黒ベエ)
Ample banana custard wrapped in a bitter-sweet cocoa sponge cake.
  • Chocolate Pie
Chocolate rolled up in cocoa flavoured pastry folded into 328 layers.
  • Moist Baumkuchen
Consisting of 2 layers of chocolate banana mixture and muscovado mixture.
  • Dorayaki
Japanese dessert consisting of two slices of sponge cake with red bean jam in between
  • Black Sesame Seed Pie Kuro Bei
  • Kuro Bei Raisin

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Original Flavor". Tokyo Banana. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  2. ^ Michelle Mackintosh; Steve Wide (30 October 2018). Tokyo. Pan Macmillan Australia. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-76078-363-1.
  3. ^ a b Simakis, Suki-Rose (25 August 2017). "Why You Must Bring Home a Tokyo Banana to Your Loved Ones". Fodor's Travel.
  4. ^ "The best souvenir of Tokyo " Tokyo banana"". Japan Hack (in Japanese). 15 April 2016. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  5. ^ "「東京ばな奈」、大阪で販売 出張自粛で需要激減". The Nikkei (in Japanese). 2 April 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  6. ^ Nagase, Youka. "Tokyo Banana now sells banana curry doughnuts at its new flagship store in Tokyo Station". Time Out Tokyo. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
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