'Tokyo Berry' pulls pop-up after copycat controversy with Tokyo Banana

A domestic fresh-fruit mochi brand called Tokyo Berry has been swept up in controversy over its packaging design's close resemblance to that of Tokyo Banana, the iconic Japanese dessert — with critics also taking aim at marketing that made the Korean brand appear to be Japanese.

Retail industry sources said Thursday that Tokyo Berry had been expanding its presence since June, opening a string of pop-up stores at major department stores including Lotte and Shinsegae.

The department stores promoted Tokyo Berry as "a premium fresh-fruit mochi capturing the flavor of seasonal fruit and the sensibility of Tokyo," and product-related content spread widely on social media, drawing considerable attention.

The design controversy erupted after photos of the product packaging circulated online. One user on Threads posted a side-by-side comparison of the two brands' packaging and asked whether Tokyo Berry had simply copied the design rather than being an official strawberry line from Tokyo Banana.

Tokyo Banana is a well-known dessert launched in 1991 by Japanese confectioner Grapestone and is widely recognized in South Korea as a must-buy souvenir from Japan.

Comparing the two packages, the brand-name font, the placement of fruit illustrations and even the position of the logo stamp in the lower right corner are strikingly similar. Online criticism poured in, with comments such as "the copying crossed the line," "I'm so embarrassed I can't look up," and "it looks like a straight-up imitation."

Particularly sharp criticism was directed at marketing that could lead consumers to mistake Tokyo Berry for a Japanese brand. When the product first launched, the brand's official Instagram promoted it with the message: "Tokyo Berry, capturing the best moments of fresh fruit and mochi, has opened in Korea."

Despite being a domestic brand, it also used the phrase "Welcome to Korea, Welcome to Tokyo Berry" — wording that implied the brand had arrived from Japan. Some consumers purchased the product believing it was a sister brand of Tokyo Banana.

As the backlash grew, Tokyo Berry deleted a significant number of posts from its official social media accounts. Some department stores are also considering ending their pop-up stores early. A Lotte Department Store official said the company was "aware of the problematic aspects, including the design similarities," adding that it "does not plan to proceed with any additional pop-ups."