A sight that many people see upon their first encounter with Japan is the various fake food and drink menu samples such as the one seen in the picture above that are normally displayed outside of the restaurants in showroom cases.
The samples are a big help for not only foreigners but Japanese alike when determining where to stop by to satisfy one’s appetite or quench one’s thirst.
With scalable models just as appetizing as the real thing, the plastic food/drink samples are truly works of art. In addition, they are a great way to judge whether the restaurant/bar is worthy of your hard earned cash as color faded samples or ones covered in dust are a good indication of the atmosphere and level of service on the inside.
As for where the fake food industry got its start, there is no need to look any further than Osaka – the food capital of Japan. Born exactly 80 years ago in 1932, the artificial food making industry in Japan has since exploded into what is today a $100 million industry.
If you are residing or planning to visit Japan and are looking for an experience like none other, some of the fake food manufacturers even offer fake food-making workshops on the weekends where you can learn how to make your own fake food items.
For those of you not ready to create your own menu item or not planning to visit Japan, have no fear because you can still own a piece of this interesting Japanese culture by accessing the Fake Food Japan store to view the greatest online collection of fake food merchandise available.
Here’s a sneak peak of what is available online for your viewing pleasure (left to right: iPhone case, keychain, and life-size replica).
So if you are a fan of Japan and in the market for something out of the ordinary, Japanese fake food may just hold the answer for you.
The plastic food replicas are really cool and a helpful aid in deciding what to order at a restaurant in Japan. There are a few places around Japan where you can actually buy some of these replicas or at least key rings of them
I didn’t realize how convenient the food on display or the food pictures in the menu were until I started to travel out of Japan. Especially if the menu is in foreign language that I don’t understand!
I used to live in Japan years ago, and it’s not until you leave that you appreciate the usefulness of sampuru (what japanese call the fake food, meaning ‘sample’). It also is just a reflection of the creativeness of the Japanese. Nice article.