• TRAVEL
    • THREE PERFECT DAYS
    • WHERE TO STAY
    • WHAT TO DO
    • ADVENTURE
  • FOOD + DRINK
    • RESTAURANTS
    • BARS + COCKTAILS
    • WINE + BEER
  • CULTURE
    • THE HEMI Q+A
    • TV + FILM
    • MUSIC
    • THEATER
    • SPORTS
    • STYLE + DESIGN
  • Watch
Menu
  • TRAVEL
    • THREE PERFECT DAYS
    • WHERE TO STAY
    • WHAT TO DO
    • ADVENTURE
  • FOOD + DRINK
    • RESTAURANTS
    • BARS + COCKTAILS
    • WINE + BEER
  • CULTURE
    • THE HEMI Q+A
    • TV + FILM
    • MUSIC
    • THEATER
    • SPORTS
    • STYLE + DESIGN
  • Watch
Search
Close
Home > FOOD + DRINK > Tokyo Banana

Pulling the Peel Back on the Tokyo Banana

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on pinterest
Share on email
  • by Elisa Parhad
  • July 1, 2019

PHOTO BY JANELLE JONES

Since the Tokyo Banana debuted in 1991, the banana cream–filled yellow sponge cake has reigned supreme as the souvenir to pick up at railway stations, malls, and airports across Japan. The cartoonish snack stands as the culinary embodiment of the country’s kawaii
culture of cuteness, and it incites feverish loyalty: According to the Tokyo Banana company, if all the cakes sold in one year were linked end to end, the chain would extend all the way from Tokyo to New York City. Aside from the original banana-cream flavor, other varieties are available seasonally or at specific retailers. 
Look for Hello Kitty–stamped apple cakes, the banana-yogurt-cream-filled Tokyo Banana Panda (which celebrates Ueno Zoo resident Xiang Xiang), and the Tokyo Banana Racco (pictured), which is filled with coffee-milk cream and designed to look like a cuddly sea otter. From $4.50 for a four-pack, tokyobanana.jp

Need a little extra wanderlust in your inbox?
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

You May Also Like

This Hotel is Having Local Artists Transform Its Rooms into Works of Art

Fall Foliage Proves That Japan's Trees Offer More Than Just Cherry Blossoms

A 'Lost in Translation' Guide to Japanese Whiskey

In the Clear: Japan Distilleries Break Into Gin and Vodka

The Setouchi Triennale Turns Japan’s Countryside into an Art Gallery

Hoshino’s OMO Hotels Redefine Japanese Travel

  • Food, Japan, Japanese Snacks, Snack, Souvenir, Tokyo, Tokyo Banana
Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on pinterest
Share on email

Recommended

STYLE + DESIGN

This Hotel is Having Local Artists Transform Its Rooms into Works of Art

  • BY Amy S. Eckert
What To Do

Fall Foliage Proves That Japan’s Trees Offer More Than Just Cherry Blossoms

  • BY Sydney Otto
Bars + Cocktails

A ‘Lost in Translation’ Guide to Japanese Whiskey

  • BY Justin Goldman
Bars + Cocktails

In the Clear: Japan Distilleries Break Into Gin and Vodka

  • BY Jacqueline Detwiler
Hemispheres United Airlines

Hemispheres is the award-winning onboard magazine for United Airlines. The magazine is published by Ink and produced by a dedicated staff of media professionals out of an Ink satellite office in Brooklyn, New York.

Instagram Twitter Facebook-f Youtube

Content

  • Travel
  • Food + Drink
  • Culture
  • Watch

About

  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertising
  • Writers Guidelines

Legal

  • Terms + Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Anti-bribery & corruption policy
united_4p_h_w_r.png

© 2020 Ink for United Airlines. All rights reserved