kotori press top

If you like cute little pet birds and happen to be in the Tokyo area, we have some good news for you! There’s now a special exhibit going on at the Tokyu Hands Ikebukuro shop until January 22 titled the “Parakeets and their Friends Exhibit (Inko to Nakama-tachi Ten)”.

Yes, pet birds seem to have quite a following in Japan, enough at least for a unique product like “pet bird flavored ice cream” to have come out in the past. Now, at this Tokyu Hands exhibit featuring pet bird-themed items from various artists and creators, you can apparently enjoy a set of “parakeet cakes,” and judging from the pictures we’ve seen, the cakes certainly look almost too cute to eat!

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The limited edition bird cakes, made especially for this exhibit, were created by the “butler cafe” Swallowtail (yes, it’s a cafe for ladies where you’re served by handsome butlers instead of maids!) under the direction of Kotori Cafe, known for their “bird cafes” in Omotesando and Kichijoji where you can interact with various pet birds.

And here’s a closer look at the “Fluffy Three-Bird Cake Set (Mofu Mofu Sanwa Set),” which we think will have customers  squealing “Kawaii!” in delight. The set includes a common pet parakeet cake, a cockatiel cake and a rosy-faced lovebird cake:

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The common pet parakeet cake (left) is made using soy milk and tofu bean curd, the idea for the ingredients being taken from the fact that these particular birds feed on bean sprouts. They’ve also given the cake a citrus flavor which supposedly matches the bird’s refreshing white and blue coloring. The cockatiel cake (middle) contains almonds, as the bird is considered to have a nut-like scent, and its distinct cheek coloring and crown have been recreated with chocolate. The last in the set is the rosy-faced lovebird cake, which is made with blue cheese for its scent, as the bird is said to have a relatively strong odor.

And to add a further sweet touch, the bird cakes are presented on a milk chocolate base containing cereal with rye, figs, dates, almonds, wheat bran, prunes and sesame, as well as several types of millet that are used as bird feed. The set of three cakes is priced at 1,200 yen (US$10.12), and they’ll apparently also be serving mystery “secret bird cakes” on weekends during the exhibit too. We can’t help wondering what kind of surprise bird cakes they’ll come up with!

▼There are also many other cute bird items on offer at the exhibit, as more than 80 creators and brands are participating, some of which are pictured below:

kotori shops

So, if you’re a fan of birds, this exhibit should definitely be worth checking out. But then, we have a feeling that adorable parakeet cakes would put almost anyone in a chirping good mood, bird lover or not. Here’s to cute birds in all their winged glory … but if we’re honest, we love them in sweet, edible form too!

Source: Tokyu Hands Ikebukuro website (Japanese), PR TIMES press release (Japanese)
Top Image: PR TIMES (Jan. 6 press relesase)
Inset images: PR TIMES (Jan. 7 press release), Tokyu Hands Ikebukuro website
Original article by: Usagi Yumeno (c) RocketNews24
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