The modern Japanese art of fake food samples has given birth to this stand which beautifully merges the heights of both elegance and kitsch.

Among the many things that stand out in Japan, one unique quality is their artists’ uncanny ability to replicate food out of plastics. These faux foodstuffs can oft be seen in restaurant windows giving potential customers a non-perishable look at the dishes inside.

More recently, these artisans have branched out beyond restaurants by offering their synthetic sushi and pasta as items desired by the general public such as hair bands and necklaces – and now even the Miso Soup Smartphone Stand.

▼ The bowls are designed to hold most iPhone models

Imagine snacking on a warm bowl of miso soup while working when suddenly…Whoops! You mistook it for a phone stand and ended up spilling your fermented bean broth all over your workspace. That’s precisely the illusion the Miso Soup Smartphone Stand is trying to replicate, because why the heck not?

▼ With the additional puddle of soup and two cubes of tofu this stand can handle devices of all shapes and sizes

Sold by leading food sample maker Iwasaki, each of these smartphone stands are hand-crafted by an actual food sample artisan meaning no two are exactly alike. They contain representations all the typical ingredients of miso soup like tofu, green onion, and wakame seaweed.

Being of such high quality, these stands go for a steep 5,800 yen (US$51). However that didn’t stop them from selling out in a single day. A second batch was put on sale on 29 June, but it too was quickly bought up.

If you too would like to startle your coworkers for a millisecond and then soak in the awkward realization that follows, be sure to keep a sharp eye on the Iwasaki Online Shop for the next batch that are sure to come.

Otherwise you can just go the cat butt route for your smartphone standing needs. That’s always a sound investment.

Source, images: Iwasaki Online Shop
[ Read in Japanese ]