An exhibit of Japanese replica foods opened in London on Wednesday, with the organizers aiming to introduce Britain to the unique history, culture and craftsmanship of the artifacts.
Visitors can feast their eyes on replicas, made with synthetic resin and wax, of dishes including delicacies from each of Japan’s 47 prefectures during the event at a cultural facility established by the country’s Foreign Ministry.
The delicately colored creations grew in popularity alongside the increased spread of Western culture and ideas in prewar Japan in the 1920s and 1930s. To help customers struggling to understand what these new and unfamiliar dishes were, food halls in Tokyo department stores began to turn to food models.
Today, replica foods remain popular as advertising devices, with delicious-looking models placed in shopfronts vying for the attention of passers-by, including tourists to Japan.
The Iwasaki Group, believed to be the first to commercialize the production of replica foods, provided some 150 exhibits for the event that runs through February.
“Of course, we want to make our models look delicious. But it’s also important to make them while considering the intent and feelings of the original chef,” Tsuyoshi Iwasaki, CEO of Iwasaki Co., said during a recent press preview.
Iwasaki from the Tokyo-based firm also said that using plastic replicas can even help reduce food loss as it removes the need to have real display food that must be thrown away at the end of each day.
“It’s amazing how things like this can start as a marketing device and become an art form in their own right,” Matilda Davies, a 28-year-old British visitor to the exhibition, said. “There’s real honor and pride in that craftsmanship.”
Charles Bodsworth, 50, head of audiences and digital content at Japan House London, called the exhibition “astonishing” and said that he was surprised at “how labor intensive and how specific the craft is.”
