These are not oranges.
And no, we’re not playing some kind of weird, psychological mind game with you.
They’re genuinely inedible, representing something of a unique but thriving industry in Japan: the art of realistic replica food. And this niche cultural phenomenon is getting a rare bit of airtime over at Japan House in Kensington, which is dedicating an entire exhibition to the subject.
Running until 16th February 2025, and totally free to visit, Looks Delicious! is an introduction to the Japanese art of shokuhin sampuru – literally ‘food samples’. And if you’ve visited Japan, there’s no way you haven’t come across them – they adorn the windows of most cafés and restaurants as a kind of visual, 3D menu to entice customers inside.
Jeremie Souteyrat
The tradition dates back to the 1920s, when department store restaurants would use models to showcase dishes that were less familiar to a Japanese audience – particularly Western food. And what started as simple renditions of omuraisu (omelette & rice) has since evolved into a competitive artisan craft, aiming to capture the textures and memories associated with a dish as well as its looks. There are onions with perfectly crispy, but naturalistically messy, outer skins. There are elaborate platters of glistening, fresh sashimi. There are even bowls of noodles with chopsticks hoisting the contents magically into the air.
Jeremie Souteyrat
The exhibition’s centrepiece is a dazzling map of Japan’s regional specialities, a Miyazaki-style banquet rendered in hand-painted PVC. The models here have all been supplied by Japan’s leading replica manufacturers, Iwasaki, whose touchingly whimsical origin story is on the walls here. You’ll also get to see the painstaking production process laid out in stages, watch videos of talented artists at work and check out the impressive winning entries for the company’s annual ‘anything goes’ competition, ranging from an ‘Earthquake-proof hamburger’ to a couple of thirsty crabs.
Jeremie Souteyrat
Later in the exhibition you’ll discover how replica foods are used to teach new parents or diabetics about recommended portion sizes; help care home residents to express how finely chopped they’d like their food; or even train surgical students on complex procedures by recreating a network of blood vessels. And there’s a chance to get hands-on with the samples themselves by designing your own too-good-to-eat bento box to snap for instagram.
Don’t forget to have a look in the shop upstairs before you leave – unless you’re happy not to have a realistic tempura-fried prawn on your keychain.
NOTE: Looks Delicious! runs at Japan House, Kensington, until 16th February 2025, and is free to visit. You can find out more on the Japan House website.
Looks Delicious! | Japan House, 101-111 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA
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