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
Secret hot spring onsen in Japan is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by tourists
A trip to see the breathtaking mountain beauty of Nagano’s Kamikochi【Part 1】
Does Starbucks Japan’s new holiday Frappuccino really taste like a cup of fallen snow?
Japanese samurai randoseru backpack lets you carry the bushido spirit with you wherever you go
Japanese Prime Minister once criticized deploying military to fight Godzilla
New heater-less pet kotatsu is a safe way to keep your furry friends warm this winter
Pokémon doughnuts appear at Mister Donut, with Diglett as the star!
Dark and edgy Jujustu Kaisen teams up with bright and cheery Sanrio for new merch line【Pics】
Japan Weak Men’s Center suddenly cancels men-only train event
Sip with Snorlax – Clever drinkware design creates Pokémon in your glass with every pour【Pics】
Nintendo’s controller capsule toys are so cool, even the machine you buy them from is awesome【Pics】
American gun owner opens our eyes to a different way of life in Tokyo
Japanese communities giving their skylines a spring clean and saying goodbye to power lines
New Akita Inu and Hachiko marshmallows are the best and squishiest souvenirs from Japan
Burger King Japan creates Kyoto Whopper, its most Japanese burger ever, with Kyoto rice merchant
Starbucks Japan unveils new Holiday goods for 2024
Totoro stamp collection lets you add adorable Ghibli touches to cards and letters【Photos】
Overwhelmed by modern social media? Japanese company is bringing back pagers with an emoji-twist
Discovered: An even better way to open Japanese convenience store rice balls【Video】
Studio Ghibli releases new insect whistle necklace from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Totoro sequel anime Mei and the Baby Catbus will screen at Ghibli Park this winter
Tokyo Disneyland loses top-attendance crown for Japanese theme parks for second year in a row
Starbucks Japan unveils Halloween Frappuccino for 2024, and it’s like drinking a magic spell
Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno returning to anime with new project for 50-year-old franchise
Studio Ghibli releases new Howl’s Moving Castle goods that capture the magic from the anime movie
Adult Jam Bread causes a stir at store in Tokyo
What’s the deal with akebi, the perfectly purple, alien-like fruit that’s in season now in Japan?
Kyoto becomes City of Yokai, with Night Parade of One Hundred Demons festival this autumn
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
Ghibli founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki contribute to Japanese whisky Totoro label design
Japanese convenience store Family Mart announces abolishment of eat-in spaces
Princesses, fruits, and blacksmiths: Study reveals the 30 most unusual family names in Japan
Doraemon found buried at sea as scene from 1993 anime becomes real life【Photos】
Life-size vibrating Legend of Zelda Master Sword for sale from Nintendo【Photos】
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