Japan's 'fake food' industry boasts a long history
Channel NewsAsia
TOKYO : Mastering the art of deception - with food.
The fake display samples, so commonly seen outside Japanese restaurants, is a multi-million dollar industry with a long history.
What many people do not realise is that till today, each piece has to be lovingly crafted by hand.
Welcome to the world of fake food - plastic models that look realistic enough to eat.
Restaurants all over Japan use them as an inviting display to show exactly what is on the menu.
The industry first started some 80 years ago in the Japanese town of Gifu, and today, master artisans there still get plenty of orders for their hand-crafted models.
Katsuji Kaneyama demonstrates how easy it is to turn green-coloured wax, softened in hot water, into a convincing lettuce.
Or how about a delicious tempura shrimp ?
