Tokyo Banana is a very famous souvenir from Japan, and you’ll see it almost everywhere in Tokyo! Its cute banana shape is appealing just to look at. The outer cake is very soft, fluffy, and delicate, with a rich banana custard filling inside. You can taste the sweet banana flavor as soon as you take a bite, along with plenty of creamy flavor. Overall, it isn’t overly sweet and goes down very easily.
HANAGATAYA | Review by Gina C
Other Reviews by Gina C
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Kubota (Asahi Shuzo)
Produced by Asahi Shuzo in Niigata Prefecture, Kubota is a sake brand known for its clean, refined style. The lineup includes the crisp and transparent Senju and the elegant, deeply expressive Manju, along with a wide range of offerings such as Kubota Junmai Daiginjo, Kubota Sparkling, and the seasonal limited-release Suiju.
Kubota Hyakuju is a well-known Japanese sake. It has a subtle rice aroma on the palate and a clean, refreshing body. Its style is light, dry, and crisp, without feeling overly sweet or cloying. It’s light and smooth to drink, with a slightly dry edge and a clean finish that doesn’t leave behind a heavy alcohol taste.
I originally thought Japanese sake would be rather harsh, but this one was surprisingly easy to drink. It pairs well with Japanese cuisine and is an easy-drinking sake that doesn’t get tiring.
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Karuizawa Garden Farm, Strawberry Garden
The farm gives a sweeping view of Mt. Asama, famous for the strawberry picking available throughout the year. The Summer / Autumn Strawberry Picking is held from July to November, and The Premium Winter Strawberry Picking is held from late December to June.
We tried strawberry picking at Karuizawa Garden Farm Strawberry Garden. Unlike the usual image of picking strawberries in an outdoor field, the strawberries here are grown indoors in a greenhouse. The entire space is very clean, with no mud or mess when you walk in, making it a very comfortable environment.
Bright red strawberries hang from the plants, looking very tempting. They’re also at a convenient height, so you can easily pick them without constantly bending over. It was a lot of fun walking around looking for big, beautiful strawberries. Whenever we spotted a ripe, plump one, we couldn’t resist picking it and giving it a try.
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Yokohama Strawberry Park
Enjoy strawberry picking not only in the pleasant spring and summer season, but even in colder months. Located alongside the Yokohama Thermal Power Station, the greenhouses are fully controlled with artificial temperature and sunlight management. This creates ideal conditions for bright red strawberries to thrive, while keeping visitors comfortable, too.
At Yokohama Strawberry Park, what I looked forward to most was tasting the fresh strawberries for myself! As soon as you enter the strawberry garden, you can smell a faint strawberry fragrance. Everywhere you look, bright red strawberries hang among the leaves, looking very tempting. Each strawberry is big and beautiful, making you want to pick one and eat it right away.
They really didn’t disappoint. Not only were the strawberries large, but they also had a very rich aroma. Each bite was full of sweet juice, with a fresh, tender, and juicy texture and almost no tartness. Every bite had the natural sweetness and fragrance of strawberries. Compared with the strawberries you normally buy at the supermarket, eating them freshly picked really is a completely different experience!
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