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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 an official Japanese souvenir sweet that is shaped like a banana. It’s kind of a soft fluffy sponge cake with the custard cream inside. It has a similar concept as an eclair. Tokyo Banana was mainly famous in Tokyo city. All of these products can be found in shops or airports in Tokyo city.

Tokyo bananas are typically presented in gift boxes including a variety of bananas in individual plastic wrappers, as well as a banana-shaped cake with beautiful decorative patterns like flowers, hearts, or animals. Tokyo Banana Mitsuketa is made by MASDAC Corporation in Tokorozawa, Saitama. Its Stores in airports and other locations all throughout Japan have created room on their shelves for it due to its rising popularity.

Tokyo Banana's birthday is August 7th. The date is derived from the pun "Ba (8) Nana (7)." The goal is to express thanks to individuals in Tokyo and visitors who pick "Tokyo Banana" as a souvenir. In 2018, the Japan Anniversary Association verified and registered the anniversary. Furthermore, a diverse variety of additional items are available for purchase.

History
Tokyo Banana was created and made by the organization known as Grapestone Co. Tokyo Banana was originally named 'Tokyo Banana' in response to Grape Stone's desire to develop this banana-flavored custard-cream dessert as a memento for Japanese people of all ages.Tokyo Banana began development in 1989, in the midst of the bubble boom, and was born in 1991. The original banana custard flavor is Tokyo Banana Miitsuketa was introduced for the first time in 1991 as the first product, has quickly gained widespread popularity. It has been contrasted with other souvenir desserts to become the symbol of Tokyo snack. Because the brand originally intended to sell only in Tokyo city. A significant portion of their popularity can be credited to the brand introducing the word “Tokyo '' into the product name because the first intention was to sell only in Tokyo city, This was done in an effort to encourage residents of Tokyo and other provinces to come and purchase the product as a souvenir. In 2016, annual sales were at 4 billion yen. Tokyo Banana' s global reputation derives largely from their status as the First Mover, or the first manufacturer to come up with a certain idea before anybody else in the market. Only if a dessert has this look will it be recognized as Tokyo Banana. because, in the early 1990s, the majority of Japanese people may not have known what a banana tasted like, causing anybody visiting Tokyo to buy this dessert to share with one another.

In the past, Bananas were once considered rare and expensive tropical fruits in Japan since they are difficult to produce and hard to find according to Japan's cold temperature. Bananas were a fruit that could only be found in Tokyo at the time. and transportation was not constantly that efficient. As a result, when individuals want to acquire it, they must pay a greater price. Producing a desert souvenir primarily out of bananas will attract customers. Grapestone decided to choose bananas as a dessert in order to provide people of all ages the taste of the cake, which is soft with fluffy texture and easy to consume.

The banana situation in Japan is currently improving. They are available at supermarkets, convenient stores. Every month, one household in Japan consumes between 9 to 15 bananas. However, banana production in Japan is relatively low, and Japan imports bananas from outside to compensate for the deficit in local production which is far below local consumption. In Japan, a wide range of banana brands are available on the supermarket banana shelves, however around 80% of them are imported from the Philippines. In 2020, Japan was the 117th largest exporter of bananas in the world. According to the amount of bananas that are imported to the country. Japan is having the fastest growth of import markets in bananas and they are becoming the 3rd largest importer of bananas in the world.

Tokyo Banana first began by making sales in railway stations because the most popular way of public transportation among Japanese citizens is the train station. In order to increase market share, the manufacturer started selling the products in airports, which are crowded tourist destinations. by concentrating a point of sale in a busy area. Including only being made available in Japan. These causes collectively result in a scarcity of their products. You must fly to Japan to purchase a Tokyo banana if you wish to eat it. And although they have more competitors these days, Tokyo Banana still has the advantage of being the first mover in this market.

Varieties
Tokyo bananas have been created in a variety of various kinds since they were originally introduced, in addition to their traditional appearance of Tokyo banana separated by a cream filling. This is simply a sampling of some of the most notable and popular varieties.
 * TOKYO BANANA Original Flavor – Light and fluffy sponge cake with a filling of banana custard cream.


 * TOKYO BANANA Honey Flavor (Exclusive product to Haneda Airport) – Cuddly teddy bear-inspired soft sponge cake with banana cream and a honey flavor.


 * TOKYO BANANA RACCO Coffee Milk Flavor – The pattern of this delicate sponge cake encasing gooey banana cream sweetened with coffee milk was inspired by fluffy floating sea otters.


 * TOKYO BANANA CASTELLA CAKE Maple Flavor (Exclusive product to Haneda Airport) – Classic castella cake studded with maple crystal sugar and shaped into the form of a banana.


 * TOKYO BANANA × KITKAT Banana Flavor – Two iconic confections team up. The distinctly delicate banana taste of Tokyo Banana, enrobed in KITKAT chocolate. Crispy and moist. Each bar has a banana design stamped on it.


 * TOKYO BANANA Cookie Sandwich Milky Banana Chocolate – The banana chocolate filling fits the thin, light biscuits. The chocolate is large and has a milky flavor.


 * TOKYO BANANA RAISIN SANDWICH COOKIES – These sandwich cookies are made and packed with raisins and creamy white chocolate cream with a banana flavor.


 * TOKYO BANANA PIE – Many layers of buttery pastry dough and banana biscuit dough make up these puff pastry biscuits. with butter and banana tastes


 * TOKYO BANANA PANDA – During the celebration of the debut of the baby panda named “Xiang Xiang” at Ueno zoo. The company has launched a new product coming with the banana yogurt flavored cream inside. The product will have three different designs in each box. It will be sold at the Ueno station first. And part of the proceeds from selling this packaging will go to the “SAVE THE PANDA” project that was initiated by the Tokyo Zoo For Society. With the goal of protecting all pandas around the world and also, pandas that are living in Ueno zoo.


 * TOKYO BANANA BANANA CHEESE CAKE – Milky and moist cheesecake baked with a subtle flavor that hints at the banana confiture contained within.


 * THE STRAWBERRY CAKE from GINZA – A layer of milk cream surrounds a layer of light and fluffy sponge cake filled with strawberry cream.


 * KAMAKURA HANGETSU – These thin and crunchy wafers have a little sweetness to them. Sweet adzuki bean cream and matcha green tea cream are two distinct tastes with different fillings. The crispiness of these cookies is due to a particular dough created with a combination of cereal grains. Before baking, each cookie is covered with butter and sugar. The crisp cookie texture and browned butter scent match the milky flavor of the white chocolate filling.


 * CURRYMAN – Curryman is a curry bun with a curry filling of pork, beef, onion, and carrot. It is filled in a bun with butter and banana, giving it the original Tokyo Banana cake's sweet and fluffy flavor. Most significantly, it has the Tokyo Banana symbol on the bun. Tokyo Banana's Curry Bun will be available at EXPASA Ebina SASTAR 2.

Exclusive Festival
Tokyo Banana has already released a countless varieties and flavors, and there are collaborations that are unique and time limited, such as :


 * Pokémon Tokyo Banana – The "Pokémon Tokyo Banana" product lineup will include the similarity of several popular Pokémon in an ongoing series. Pikachu is the first one that came out. There are a total of six different Pikachu patterns, and The rarest pattern among them is a female Pikachu with a heart-shaped tail. These Pikachu Tokyo Banana were available in limited quantities in Japan's 7-Eleven convenience stores, which launched in the Tokyo region on November 21st, 2020.


 * Tokyo Banana Minion – Tokyo Banana Minion "Miitsuketaa" is a product made in collaboration with the iconic Minion character. Five distinct designs are inspired by Bob, Stuart, Kevin, Carl, and Otto. The major characters who will also feature in "Minions Fever," the newest film in the series, which will be released in theaters throughout the country on July 15, 2022. It is a limited edition that will only be offered in the Kansai region beginning July 1, 2022. The Tokyo Banana Minion will be offered in packs of 4, 8, and 12 pieces at major railway stations, airports, department shops, and highway service sites across the Kansai region.


 * Tokyo Banana Doraemon – This product was released during the 30th anniversary of Tokyo Banana World and the 50th anniversary of the animation “Doraemon”. The product will come with the various six face designs of Doraemon and it has the same flavor as the original Tokyo Banana. It will be released on September 3, 2021 in 14 stores in Niigata province and Shonai province.


 * Tokyo Banana Mickey Mouse Pancake Sandwich – Tokyo Banana and Disney are collaborating with each other. They are opening a new souvenir store named “Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana”. Their first branch is opening at JR Tokyo train station in late 2019. The product is a biscuit pancake with a fluffy texture with cream filling inside. They are available in 2 flavors. Which is Banana Milk and Caramel Almond flavor. The design of their packaging will be in the cute style with a retro vibe.  This product will be released on December 9, 2019.


 * Tokyo Banana Mickey Mouse (Disney’s Fantasia 80th Anniversary) – This is their second product at “Disney SWEETS COLLECTION by Tokyo Banana” store. They launched on the occasion of  the 80th anniversary of “Fantasia”. Which is the first animation of Mickey Mouse. The product will be fluffy cake smelled chocolate with the custard cream of banana chocolate. Printed with moon and stars inspired by Mickey Mouse’s hat. This product will be available at stores during December 15, 2020 till around May 2021.


 * Tokyo Banana Winnie The Pooh – It is the latest release product of the collaboration with Disney. This time they are choosing Winnie the Pooh as their cartoon characters. The product has a milk cream and honey custard cream filling inside. Which is inspired by Winnie the Pooh’s favorite food. All of these cakes will have an adorable bear face with four different expressions. Also, each box will have a memorial card of Winnie The Pooh featuring his friends. This collection will be released on June 3, 2021 at the official online store or at the JR Tokyo Station Store.


 * Tokyo Banana Lemon – It is a limited flavor in summer of 2022. They are bringing two fruits which are lemon and banana mixed together becoming a new custard cream flavor. Also, their cake will print the word “Lemon” at the front of the cake. And if some of the customers are lucky. They will see the printing word “レモン” which means lemon in katakana word. This product will be released on July 6, 2022 at FamilyMart and Lawson stores nationwide in Japan in limited quantities.

Nutrition Information
Tokyo bananas are a type of snack, and this is their main nutritional content.

There are 102 calories in 1 Tokyo banana, each Tokyo banana contains 2.93g of fat, 18.25g of carbohydrate, and 1.05g of protein. Calories breakdown : 25% fat, 70% carbohydrate, 4% protein.

Dietary restrictions
Apart from the most widely known flavor, Tokyo Banana Original flavor, there are several other varieties and products available from the same company. Unfortunately, Most of the variety and Tokyo Banana Original flavor is not halal since it includes bovine gelatin (from cow) and a trace of alcohol. You can spot this sign at the ingredients list (ゼラチン) as a gelatin and (洋酒) as a liquor. In daily products of Tokyo Bananas, they usually contain eggs and milk which are prohibited for vegans. And for vegetarians, there is bovine gelatin which is made from cow, so they won’t be allowed to eat. There are some of varieties and flavors that can be consume by Muslims and it’s halal certified. which is Tokyo Choco Banana, Tokyo Banana Strawberry Syally Mate and, Tokyo Banana White Choco Sand, Milk Choco Sand Syally Mate and the latest product which is Tokyo Campanella Brown.

All of these can be checked by the product details and ingredients on the official website and have been confirmed by the manufacturer about the ingredients of the product and their origin.

Recommended Store
TOKYO BANANA holds shops at the main airport, train station, and large shopping mall.


 * Airport

Daimaru Tokyo Store Tokyo Banana Studio – The iconic Tokyo Banana varieties, such as Doraemon flavors, can be found in Daimaru 1F. Famous Tokyo Banana variants are available here. The Pikachu Tokyo Banana series is also available on the second floor. You may also get coffee milk with a Sea Otter motif, strawberry cake with a Ginza taste, and cookie sand.

Website: https://shop.grapestone.co.jp/shop/361/

Tokyo Station Disney SWEETS COLLECTION – Disney-themed flavors are available at this store! For example, Mickey &amp;amp; Friends Miitsuketta. It is appropriate for all Disney fans. Also a great souvenir if you visited Disneyland. There are other additional stores in Tokyo Station as well.

Website: https://shop.grapestone.co.jp/shop/1082/

Haneda Airport Terminals – It was located at souvenir shops in Haneda airport in arrival, departure, and inside the boarding areas. And also, the honey flavor is only available at Haneda airport.

Website: https://shop.grapestone.co.jp/shop/193/

Narita Airport Terminal 1 Restaurant – Aside from the original flavor, there are Pokemon and Pochama Tokyo Banana collections available here. The sponge cake, light and fluffy like a Pochama, is topped with &amp;quot;buttermilk-flavored banana custard cream&amp;quot; made using Hokkaido butter.

Website: https://shop.grapestone.co.jp/shop/224/ '
 * Train Station

JR Tokyo, Shinagawa, Ueno, Shinjuku, Hachio-ji, Shin-Yokohama, O-miya station


 * Shopping Mall

Daimaru Tokyo Store, Odakyu-Shinjuku, Seibu-Ikebukuro, Isetan-Fuchu, Odakyu-Machida, Yokohama Sogo, Tokyo

Skytree, Tokyo tower, Odaiba Aqua city, Diversity, LAOX Ginza


 * Other Region

Isetan Kuala Lumpur, Isetan Singapore