Everyone says they’re just plastic, but they look so real!
If you’ve ever been looking for a place to eat in Japan and had trouble figuring out where to go, you know that the array of plastic food that adorns the outside of most restaurants is such a welcome relief. Even though it’s plastic, you get a pretty good idea of what sort of food the place serves and a preview of their menu. The surprising part is when you end up ordering something you saw outside, and it’s all arranged exactly the same!
Iwasaki Be-I is the leading plastic food samples company in Japan and every year they hold an amazing internal plastic food art competition. Dating back to 1968, this event has continued for more than 45 years and the company credits the contest with pioneering new technology, new styles of expression, and the development of new product lines. Workers who participate are allowed to use their own ideas and imagination to come up with unique plastic food masterpieces.
Here are some of the best entries from the 2015 contest that Iwasaki Be-I has shared with the world.
▼ The octopus that makes takoyaki
▼ Birdy pie
▼ Tuna the size of nigiri sushi
▼ Gold fish in a tub
▼ Faucet that lets out beer and melon soda
▼ Pasta racket
▼ Mandarin orange getting a touch-up
▼ Octopus in takowasa (cold octopus with wasabi)
▼ Yule log with a beetle cut in half
▼ 100 percent fresh juice
▼ A carrot family in beef stew
▼ Tomato-splosion
▼ The cucumber is in the kiwi and the kiwi is in the cucumber.
▼ Stormy seas ice cream
▼ Eggs gushing from the salmon’s stomach
▼ Kabedon!
You have to love some of the creativity being displayed here, especially when it looks so realistic! While we wouldn’t trust an octopus who was smart enough to serve us takoyaki, we suppose it would know exactly the best kinds of octopus to put in the tasty treats. It’s definitely got a weird sort of entrepreneurial vibe going for it!
And even though we know none of it is real, it still doesn’t keep us from getting really hungry. Here’s to this year’s competition being just as delicious looking!
Source: CuRAZY
Images: Iwasaki Be-I
Otaku crime: Kyoto police arrest man for selling counterfeit ultra-rare Yu-Gi-Oh! card
Everything you need to know about takoyaki (octopus balls) 【Video】
Takoyaki…inarizushi? New fusion food boggles the mind in Japan
Takoyaki boat tray comes to life in Japan, sails down river near Tokyo
World’s first Takoyaki Guitar created in Japan, features a gas grill and octopus balls
Station of despair: What to do if you get stuck at the end of Tokyo’s Chuo Rapid Line
Japanese train station vending machine has the best souvenirs for rail otaku
Kura Sushi has a new parade-delivered whole cake dessert, but what’s it like to eat?【Video】
This downtown Tokyo cafe is like a time machine that takes you back 50 years into the past
Sailor Moon and J-pop mega-star Ayumi Hamasaki team up for collaboration, pre-defeat scalpers
Totoro towels gently glow in the dark to set the Ghibli nighttime mood in your home【Photos】
Japanese government will check and judge new baby name pronunciations, presents guidelines
Mysterious light-up rainy night-sound Totoro figure doesn’t actually show a scene from the anime
Shakey’s is back! All-you-can-eat pizza chain returns to downtown Tokyo’s Shinjuku
Cup Noodle sells new squid fork with its instant ramen
Japanese company develops classy heavy metal band frames for glasses
One of Japan’s rarest sweets is a sell-out hit that looks and tastes like frost
Studio Ghibli showcases traditional craftsmanship with new wallet range
Major Japanese city is abolishing extracurricular activities at all of its middle schools
Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke plushies show a softer side of formidable Ghibli characters
Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan
Uniqlo announces first-ever collaboration with horror manga master Junji Ito【Photos】
J-pop mega star Ado reveals she’s been living in the U.S., may not understand language acquisition
Starbucks Japan is calling it quits with paper straws
Studio Ghibli releases new range of cardigans for anime fans
Japan’s most popular castle raising ticket prices by up to 200 percent for non-local tourists
Furikake rice seasoning sales are soaring, which is bad news for Japan as a whole
Studio Ghibli heroine cardigans give you warmth and strength to face everyday challenges
Eight unforgettable hot springs, as recommended by Japan’s “Professor Bath”
McDonald’s new Happy Meals offer up cute and practical Sanrio lifestyle goods
Foreign tourists on Shinkansen bullet train break suitcase etiquette, angering local passengers
[Deleted] Article written for April Fool’s Day 2018
Japanese government to make first change to romanization spelling rules since the 1950s
Foreigner’s request for help in Tokyo makes us sad for the state of society
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Studio Ghibli releases free-download board game — Here’s how to play it without reading Japanese
We miss out on cheap all-you-can-eat takoyaki, but stuff ourselves with octopus balls anyway
Black “Ninja Takoyaki” is Japan’s latest must-try cuisine from Osaka
Behold the most realistic miso soup novelty smartphone stand known to man
Great balls of octopus and rice! It’s the Takoyaki Onigiri
New takoyaki gacha toys designed by a Japanese voice actress come with surprise fillings
New cookbook turns the uni-tasker takoyaki maker into a versatile multi-tasker
Independent bar offers Dragon Ball takoyaki, won’t sell all seven in one order
How to make amazing Japanese fruit flower sandwiches
First-ever Cardcaptor Sakura Cafe coming to Tokyo next month
Eel-topped takoyaki is delicious in any season, but here’s why now is the best time to try it
Survey finds that Osaka people don’t eat takoyaki octopus balls as much as you’d think
Japan’s Uncle Fist loses money every week selling takoyaki to kids for just 10 yen, doesn’t care
Kansai-exclusive takoyaki Cup Noodle lives up to half of the expectations its name produces
New Zealand prime minster welcomed to Japan by kiwi mascot characters, surreally somber dance
Less than half of Japanese people OK with bare hand-pressed rice balls, survey says, but why?
Leave a Reply