Japanese artist makes a delicious feast for the eyes out of non-edible material.

No other foodie culture values presentation as much as Japan does. It doesn’t matter if it’s a five-course meal at a fancy hotel or just something quick you whipped up for breakfast at home, if you want people to be impressed with your culinary skills, the food you make has to be as pleasing to the eyes as it is to the palate.

And at first glance, Japanese Twitter user @meganenooo seems to have truly taken to heart the philosophy that food should look as good as it tastes. These snapshots, for example, show a Pizza Margherita, plate of mixed tempura, fried egg with a golden, gooey yolk, and a bento boxed lunch with grilled salmon and a fried shrimp that all appear perfectly cooked and arranged.

But the truth is that as mouthwatering as these meals look, you wouldn’t want to eat them, because each and every item is actually made out of paper!

All of these edible-looking (but not actually edible) works of art were made by @meganenooo’s father, who’s in his mid-70s and took up “fake food” papercraft as a hobby a few years ago when he found himself with some extra free time on his hands.

Even more impressive is that @meganenooo’s dad is self-taught. These aren’t standard origami exercises or pre-sorted kits he’s using. Instead, he selects the materials himself, primarily using the pliable Japanese craft paper called washi, and figures out how to fold, cut, and arrange it on his own.

▼ @meganenooo’s dad doesn’t add any color, instead picking out papers that already have the hues he’ll need.

These are far from his only projects, and in the roughly four years since @meganenooo started his hobby he’s made more than 200 paper “meals.”

▼ His most popular creation from last year was this batch of takoyaki octopus dumplings, with their faux batter spilling out from the grill’s indentions.

▼ Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, with a slice cut out and lying on the hera (spatula) locals use to eat it

▼ A bowl of soba noodles, Japan’s traditional New Year’s Eve dinner

And just like with real food, it’s important to save room for dessert, as @meganenooo’s dad shows himself capable of recreating both traditional Japanese and Western-style sweets.

▼ Uji kintoki (matcha green tea shaved ice with sweet red beans)

▼ A “Christmas cake,” the fashionable strawberry cake Japan enjoys on Christmas Eve

▼ Zenzai (a dessert soup made with sweet red beans and mochi)

And if you’re in need of a beverage, there’s this cup of milk tea with a convincing splash as the cream is added.

Most of the photos shared by @meganenooo are of the finished forms, leaving a lot of mystery as to just how his dad makes such amazing art. Occasionally, though, a behind-the-scenes snapshot or video gives a peek at the process.

As amazing as this papercraft is, though, it was actually son @meganenooo’s idea to share it online. “It’d be a waste for no one to see these except the immediate family” he says, and we’re definitely happy to have a seat at the table for this feast for the eyes.

Sources: Twitter/@meganenooo via IT Media, FNN Prime Online
Images: Twitter/@meganenooo
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!