Tokyo Berry accused of copying Japan's Tokyo Banana
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- Tokyo Berry, a newly launched South Korean food and beverage brand, faces allegations that its products closely resemble Japan's popular Tokyo Banana brand, potentially misleading consumers about a connection between the two.
- Lotte and Shinsegae department stores cancelled all future Tokyo Berry pop-up stores, with a department store official confirming the cancellations to The Korea Herald on July 31.
- Tokyo Berry's marketing phrases such as "capturing the flavours of seasonal fruits and the essence of Tokyo" reinforced the impression it was a Japanese brand, prompting some online users to call the controversy a "national embarrassment."
- The backlash widened to accusations that Tokyo Berry also copied the hanji traditional-paper wrapping used by Korean premium dessert brand Hanjungsun for its chapssaltteok rice cakes.
- Tokyo Berry hid its promotional Instagram posts and disabled comments amid the growing criticism.
- Grapestone, the Japanese confectionery company that operates Tokyo Banana, has begun reviewing the matter, telling local media it "shared the issue with the relevant department and are currently reviewing the details."
Why it matters: Lotte and Shinsegae — two of South Korea's largest department store chains — pulled all future Tokyo Berry pop-ups just as the brand was generating long customer lines, showing Korean retailers won't host brands caught in cross-border cultural plagiarism disputes. Grapestone's formal review opens the door to potential trademark or unfair competition action against the fledgling Korean startup.
