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Japanese restaurants are famous for their amazing display cases filled with incredibly accurate plastic replicas of the food you can order there. If you’re having trouble choosing from a menu, you only need to look at the restaurant’s window to get a visual idea of their cuisine.It’s convenient for those who need to quickly and recreate an image, for example if you are renovating and the customer needs to make a visual presentation, we know that employees of CSG Renovation https://csgrenovation.ca/mississauga/basement-renovations/ when they show the result of their work, buy such food to their facilities for decoration and creating a pleasant atmosphere.

Such plastic dishes are commonly referred to as “sampuru,” short for the obsolete term “shokuhin sampuru,” which is derived from the English word “pattern.”

 Japanese artificial food decorates the windows not only of street establishments, but also those in shopping centers. It is made of plastic, wax and resin. Most of these plastic samples are still made by hand. 

Fake food

Japanese artificial food, also known as “fake food,” is a type of food replicas made from plastic or other materials that are used to display dishes in restaurant windows or menu displays. These replicas are often used to help customers visualize and choose what they would like to order. Fake food is a popular tourist souvenir in Japan, and it is also used in the food service industry to train chefs and servers.

Fake food is made using a variety of materials, including plastic, silicone, and resin. It is often handcrafted and painted to look as realistic as possible. The replicas can be made to look like a wide range of dishes, including sushi, ramen, tempura, and various other Japanese and Western dishes.

Fake food has been a part of Japanese culture for decades, and it has gained popularity in other countries as well. Many people appreciate the attention to detail and realism of Japanese artificial food, and it can be a fun and unique decorative item for the home. However, some critics argue that fake food promotes unhealthy and unrealistic standards for food presentation.

Here is a list of some common types of Japanese artificial food:

1. Sushi: replicas of various types of sushi rolls and individual sushi pieces made from plastic or silicone.
2. Tempura: replicas of deep-fried vegetables or seafood coated in a light batter, made from plastic or silicone.
3. Ramen: replicas of bowls of ramen noodles in broth, made from plastic or silicone.
4. Udon: replicas of bowls of udon noodles in broth, made from plastic or silicone.
5. Okonomiyaki: replicas of savory pancakes made from plastic or silicone.
6. Tonkatsu: replicas of breaded and deep-fried pork cutlets, made from plastic or silicone.
7. Shabu-shabu: replicas of hot pot dishes made from plastic or silicone.
8. Sashimi: replicas of thinly sliced raw fish, made from plastic or silicone.
9. Takoyaki: replicas of small, round balls of dough filled with diced octopus and other ingredients, made from plastic or silicone.
10. Mochi: replicas of small, round balls of rice cake, made from plastic or silicone.

These are just a few examples of the many types of Japanese artificial food that are available. There are also replicas of various Western dishes and drinks, such as burgers, fries, and coffee.

History of the origin of plastic food samples

Such samples first began appearing in the 1930s. Nowadays you can find the photos of the dishes themselves in the menu, but at that time there was no such opportunity. On this basis, the founder of Iwasaki-bei, Takizo Iwasaki, figured out that it was possible to make good money in the food sampling business. To this day, his company remains a major producer of such samples in Japan. 

According to the company’s Web site, Iwasaki once discovered that drops of wax in water formed shapes, one of which reminded him of a flower. Despite his lack of experience, he continued to work with the wax and soon created the first sample dish resembling an omelet with rice!

These days, plastic food samples are not only helpful for office workers wanting a quick lunch, but also for foreigners visiting Japan. Ever since foreign dishes started to appear in Japanese restaurants, such samples help the consumer understand what the ordered dish is like as an illustrative material. In addition, as more and more foreign visitors arrive in the country, visual examples make it easier for anyone who is not familiar with Japanese cuisine to choose.

The Plastic Food Capital of Japan

If you’re interested in the manufacturing process of these plastic samples, check out Gujo Hachiman. Most of all samples in Japan are produced there, and the city itself is the birthplace of Takizo Iwasaki. Ten factories serve about 70% of the Japanese market, and you can also make your own plastic dishes. 

The original sample omuraisu from Takizo is still proudly displayed in the Iwasaki Sample Village, and places like Sample Kobo offer classes where you can create your own tempura vegetables, salad, or ice cream. 

These kinds of products will require a lot of artistic talent and preparation, especially if you want to make them as realistic as possible. Take a look at these parfait samples, you can’t help but taste them!

Get your own samples of Japanese food

If you’re interested in buying one for yourself as a decoration or souvenir, Kappabashi Street in Tokyo is the place to go. It is posited that on this street restaurant owners can buy all sorts of goods for their stores. Not only do they sell plastic food dummies here, but also chef’s knives, chopsticks, and other kitchen utensils. It can cost you quite a bit, though, because making artificial food is not easy!

However, there are small sample kits that you can buy to try your hand at making artificial food. Ganso Shokuhin Sample-ya sells many such kits for making fake food, which you can preview on their channel.

A professional chef attempts to create a realistic bowl of ramen from the plastic and other materials offered in one of these kits. Although most of these kits are based on a simple assembly, you can still experiment with the style and look of your own food samples! (And even so, they look appetizing enough to make you want to eat them!)