“Looks Delicious” Japanese Food Replica Exhibition Japan House

You have probably seen hyper realistic Japanese food replicas, known as “shokuhin sanpuru”, in display cases in front of Japanese restaurants in Japan and across the world. They provide a visual cue for customers to understand the menu and the food that is served in a restaurant. This is great for tourists who are unfamiliar with the food of a new place.

But there is more to these food replicas than just mere pieces of art. This is a story of history, creativity and innovation.

These food replicas were originally made to showcase the newly introduced Western food to a Japanese audience. They were made in small factories and were popular with all sorts of restaurants and cuisines. They have been created to represent any kind of cuisine for any kind of restaurant.

At the recent “LooksDelicious” exhibition held at the Japan House in Kensington, they showcased an extensive selection of these pieces of art. What I found intriguing is that these food replicas were not used just for the hospitality business but their use extended into education and science.

I did not expect to get so much out of this exhibition. As a fan of Japanese cuisine, I learnt about so many new dishes, and helped discover the diversity of Japanese cuisine, especially the regional specialities like the Kiritanpo nabe from the Akita mountains, which is mashed rice wrapped around a cedar stick and baked. It is the key ingredient in this pot of stew where it is often cooked with chicken stock and vegetables.

Some of those pieces were so lifelike and looked delicious. Here are some Japanese dishes that I discovered at the exhibition.

Nowadays, these food replicas play a more extensive role, from science to education.

My favourites were these little Japanese sweets, wagashi, that is usually served at a Japanese tea ceremony. You can learn more about the art of wagashi here.

The origin and the company that dominates the food replica business.

In 1923, a Japanese department store, Shirokiya featured a food replica menu for their newly opened dining hall. Other department stores followed this new trend and the food replica displays even became their own attraction.

Mr Takizo Iwasaki is now thought to be the man instrumental in the rise in popularity of this art. From childhood, he was fascinated with the properties and was and experimented with creating wax flowers. Later, this hobby turned into a new business with the creation of the early food replicas in wax.

Later, he saw the potential of creating these food replicas using wax and agar. After much experimentation, his method of using wax and agar made it possible to make this a commercial proposition.

His first succesful model was of an omelette his wife made and he managed to recreate the wrinkly details of the texture which became the first prototype. He called this “Kinen Omu”. From a humble omelette to a world of delicious food. Look at the life-size crab and the amazing details of the shell and the colours.

The artisans who make these realistic food-like pieces of art are now celebrated. Look at how they recreated those onions, the crispy dry skin and the succulence of the inner layers and then the freshness of the perky lettuce leaves.

How are these food replicas made?

Originally made from wax, now it is made from a synthetic resin which is more vibrant, and durable and allows for more details. The crafting of these food replicas is an art. It takes a craftsman to create these food replicas with all the fine details, colour and shine like on a piece of sushi, to make it look realistic. Today, Mr Iwasaki’s factory has the major market share in making these food replicas and has spawned a small industry in his hometown of Gujo.

They are sometimes made with moulds like for this steak. This is also the first model that was successfully exported to the US for a beer company to use as promotional material.

The role of food replicas beyond hospitality

Over time, people outside hospitality started to use food replicas for education, medical training and even for science.

Here is an example of how these replicas are used to inform about nutrition. They have created a visual guide to a recommended daily diet for an adult and a child. A visual guide really helps to transmit the message and as they say, a picture paints a thousand words.

In the context of nutrition science, they have analysed and displayed nutritional information like the amount of sugar in this glass of juice. These lifelike representations make a much larger impact than a mere diagram.

In Mr Iwasaki’s hometown Gujo in the Gifu Prefecture, he made replicas of a local fish called Ayu and other river creatures, which can be seen in the town’s museum and around Gujo town.

I really didn’t expect to learn so much about food replicas. They really are a Japanese cultural icon.

If you are interested in learning more about Japanese culture, head to the Japan House in Kensington where they have rotating exhibitions about different aspects of Japanese life, culture and design. Besides, its a place to grab a matcha latte, stock up on Japanese groceries, have a meal, buy Japanese arts and craft or even book a trip to Japan. See their website for the latest updates.

Japan House
101-111 Kensington High Street,
London W8 5SA