Feast for the Eyes: The World of Japan’s Realistic Fake Foods

When it comes to fake food, Japan has the most realistic models in the world. You’ll find these plastic replicas in restaurants all over the country, as they play a massive role in the culinary scene. Let’s uncover why plastic food is in such high demand in Japan and why its industry generates millions of dollars every year.

Introduction to Plastic Food Models

When you walk past a Japanese restaurant, you might notice a display window or shelf lined with a variety of tasty-looking dishes. Those are not real foods. They’re what we call fake foods or plastic foods. Fake food is a plastic replica of a real dish or ingredient. This ultra-realistic plastic food model is known in Japan as shokuhin sampuru.

Restaurants typically order the models from manufacturers, going as far as spending thousands of dollars on replicas of their entire menu. One fake food model may cost a lot more than the real dish, but since it lasts indefinitely, the restaurants usually get their money’s worth. Food carts and food stands also use similar models to display their menus. Food replicas allow these eateries to showcase their offerings in the most appealing way possible, without worrying about waste or spoilage.

Although other countries like China and South Korea also use fake food, Japan has the most realistic versions in the world. This is partly because the concept and techniques for making them originated in Japan. Although most sampuru manufacturers closely guard their operations, we know for a fact that they use a combination of plastic, resin, and wax to create these incredibly realistic fake food displays. Some of them look even more appealing than the dishes they were created to represent. The entire concept is the perfect intersection between art and food commerce.

Thanks to plastic food, local and foreign customers can have a reference for what meals will look like. It’s way more effective than the words on a menu, especially for foreign tourists and expats. These replicas also have applications in other areas outside of the food industry. They’re used as props for movies, TV shows, and plays. You’ll also find them in museums, casinos, furniture showrooms, and banquet halls, where displaying real food could pose a health hazard.

History of Fake Food in Japan

In the 1800s, during the late stages of the Edo period (1603–1868), food sellers would display real Japanese food instead of a written menu. However, they had to replace this dish every day. Japanese artisans and candlemakers created paraffin or petroleum wax food models as alternatives in the 1920s, during the early Showa period (1926–1989). These wax models were vulnerable to heat and sunlight, so they did not last long, causing manufacturers to rent them out instead of selling them. 

After the war ended in 1945, Japan saw an influx of western food. Since many Japanese people had no idea what some of these foods looked like, replicas became a popular way to showcase these foreign dishes. In the mid-1980s, food sample manufacturers upgraded to polyvinyl chloride (PVC), resin, and silicon, which can last indefinitely. Mild visa requirements in the 2010s led to more immigrants in Japan, which was a win for the fake food industry, as plastic replicas of local dishes were easier for foreigners to understand. 

How Food Samples Are Made

Modern Japanese fake food is made using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chemical resins. The use of wax has been obsolete for many years now because of its poor durability. PVC is especially durable and flexible, allowing manufacturers to sell their creations to customers for high prices. Needless to say, the materials used to make fake food are non-toxic but inedible. These plastic models are made in workshops that are often located within major shopping districts.

Although the common practice is for restaurants to commission independent manufacturers when creating the models, some restaurants have their own in-house fake food makers. In most cases, the fake foods are scale models custom-designed to serve as exact replicas of the restaurant's entire menu. To save time and money, artisans tend to make lots of different fake ingredients, such as rice, tempura, shrimp, etc., and reserve them in stores. When an order comes in, they assemble and modify these ingredients to make the replica dish or menu. The making of fake food ingredients in Japan is a manual process that passes through four major stages: molding, casting, painting, and presentation. Let’s take a closer look at each step below:

1. Mold-making: The first step is to make the mold for the plastic ingredient. To do that, artisans dip the real ingredients in silicon. If the real ingredient is unavailable, they sculpt a clay model of it and use that as a reference for the mold instead.

2. Casting: The artisan pours liquid plastic or vinyl into the mold and allows it to solidify. After 10–30 minutes, they trim off excess plastic from the solidified model. Whenever possible, they try to use plastic with a color that matches the real ingredient.

3. Painting: The craftsmen hand-paint the solidified plastic model to replicate the real deal.

4. Presentation: This stage involves the assembly of separately-made food model pieces to create a replica of the intended dish. They might have to do additional painting or trimming to better match the real item.

The Role of Food Models in Japanese Dining

Food models have played a significant role in Japanese cuisine since the early 19th century. Hence, they have become associated with the traditional business model of Japanese restaurants. Fake foods serve as mockups, appearing on the display windows and shelves of restaurants. They’re strategically placed in positions that face traffic, thereby helping them to attract customers.

Sampuru is also an effective visual menu for diners. It’s particularly helpful for tourists and non-Japanese speakers who may find it hard to understand written menus. That way, they get a clear picture of the visual appeal of each dish on the menu and the ingredients they contain without having to do any research. But fake food as a visual aid isn’t only useful to foreigners; Japanese people may also benefit from it. Different regions in Japan offer specialties that consist of local ingredients. Plastic models of these specialty dishes help people from other regions get a sense of what the local cuisine looks like. For these reasons, Japanese restaurants don’t mind paying premium prices for ultra-realistic replicas of their menu items. The businesses that can’t afford certain models rent them instead.

Plastic Food Models as an Art Form

Fake food making is nothing short of an art form that requires a great deal of skill and creativity. Japanese restaurants like to keep their dishes unique, so it will be near impossible to use the same replicas for different restaurants. Hence, fake food models are made-to-order using a manual process. Artisans have always prided themselves on their ability to make models that resemble real food, down to the tiniest detail. More recently, the plastic food industry has moved from commercial promotions to artistic expressions. The sample depictions range from wacky to unrealistic.

Plastic foods are also sold as artwork and souvenirs, such as cell phone charms, keychains, and fridge magnets. Hence, it’s not unusual to find people displaying them in their homes. Major cities like Tokyo often host exhibitions where dozens of artisans showcase their most spectacular sampuru.

Where to See and Buy Sampuru

If you would like to see fake food being made in Japan, you can do so in any of the many workshops in the country. The most popular place to find these food model workshops is Kappabashi Street in Tokyo. This district is called “Kitchen Town” for a good reason. It’s filled with hundreds of shops, all selling food-related items such as utensils, cutlery, and plastic food.

Gujo Hachiman is a riverside town in Gifu Prefecture that is generally considered the birthplace and capital of Japanese plastic food. This is where you can find the highest quality of plastic food in the country. The town contains lots of small and big fake food shops, many of which have been active for decades.

Ready-made models also serve as good souvenirs. You can buy them at famous shops like Maizuru and Ganso Shokuhin, which are both in Tokyo. If you would rather learn how to make your own plastic food, go to Sample Village Iwasaki in Nagoya. The Iwasaki Family, Japan's oldest and biggest manufacturer of plastic food, is in charge of this workshop. 

Impact of Sampuru on Global Perceptions of Japanese Cuisine

People around the world find the fact that fake foods are created with such attention to detail fascinating. These replicas are new to some of the tourists, further fueling their fascination with Japanese cuisine. The models help foreigners better appreciate the local cuisine, as they make choosing the right meal so much easier. To them, food samples reflect broader aspects of Japanese culture, including emphasis on aesthetics and the importance of hospitality

Conclusion:

Every party benefits from the existence of fake food in Japan. The artisans get to express their skills and creativity; their artistry captivates both locals and visitors alike; and the restaurants get more business. Next time you see food showcased on restaurant street displays, look at it more closely. It’s probably fake!

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