Tokyo Banana

Tokyo Banana (東京ばな奈) is a Japanese banana-shaped sponge cake with a cream filling. It is a famous souvenir sweet of Tokyo and is manufactured and sold by.

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

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

• 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.

Products sold in the past

See also

• List of brand name snack foods

External links

• Tokyo Banana World
• Tokyo Banana World