Don't take a bite! Japan’s plastic food products look so real
From fruit salad to a nice hearty bowl of spaghetti, plastic food samples displayed at an exhibition in Tokyo look as good as actual food. The tradition of displaying fake food outside restaurants is called ‘Shokuhin sampuru’ or sample food products
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Plastic food models were created for an exhibition held by the Iwasaki Group in Tokyo. Artists craft these models to match the precision of real food. 'Shokuhin sampuru' or 'sample food products' have long been displayed outside Japanese restaurants. AFP
Head of Iwasaki Group factory Hiroaki Miyazawa inspects a finished plastic food sample. Sampuru are commonly found outside ramen shops across Japan where shop owners use them to advertise their food menu. AFP
A cake made of plastic. All the models displayed at the exhibition are handmade by artists from the Iwasaki Group which is Japan's leading maker of plastic food samples. AFP
An artist gives finishing touches to plastic food samples at the exhibition. Around 60 samples were on display. AFP
This particular fake food sample showcases the 'Leaning tower of pizza'. At the Iwasaki factory located in Yokohama, artists first take moulds of ingredients taken from actual food then decorate the plastic samples to look as realistic as possible. AFP
An artist brushes grease on plastic food samples to make them look realistic. Fake food product is a multi-million dollar market in Japan. AFP