Gleaming sushi and an "earthquake-proof burger" are among the hyperrealistic food models on display at Japan House London as part of the exhibition Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan's Food Replica Culture.
Opening today, the show documents Japan's history of food replicas, known as food samples or shokuhin sampuru in Japanese, which dates back to 1923 and continues as a contemporary trend.
Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan's Food Replica Culture opens today at Japan House London
The bespoke replicas are scale models of dishes from the country's 1.4 million restaurants, produced by craftspeople for eateries wishing to advertise hyperrealistic versions of their menu items to prospective diners.
Simon Wright, director of programming at Japan House London, explained that the meticulous detailing and bright colours synonymous with the world-famous replicas intend to "stimulate how delicious the food actually is". The exhibition explores the country's many food replicas
"There's a slight exaggeration to trigger your memory and stimulate your appetite," he told Dezeen at the gallery.
Among the works is a dedicated section revealing how the replicas are made, including moulds and stencils such as a screenprint stencil used to create fish scales, arranged in a factory-style layout atop colourful crates.
Japanese food replicas date back to 1923
The display examines the shift from early replicas cast from coloured candle wax, which was historically poured i...