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    Japanese food replicas “trigger your memory and stimulate your appetite”

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    Gleaming sushi and an “earthquake-proof burger” are among the hyperrealistic food models on display at Japan House London as part of the exhibition Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture.

    Opening today, the show documents Japan’s history of food replicas, known as food samples or shokuhin sampuru in Japanese, which dates back to 1923 and continues as a contemporary trend.
    Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture opens today at Japan House LondonThe bespoke replicas are scale models of dishes from the country’s 1.4 million restaurants, produced by craftspeople for eateries wishing to advertise hyperrealistic versions of their menu items to prospective diners.
    Simon Wright, director of programming at Japan House London, explained that the meticulous detailing and bright colours synonymous with the world-famous replicas intend to “stimulate how delicious the food actually is”.
    The exhibition explores the country’s many food replicas”There’s a slight exaggeration to trigger your memory and stimulate your appetite,” he told Dezeen at the gallery.

    Among the works is a dedicated section revealing how the replicas are made, including moulds and stencils such as a screenprint stencil used to create fish scales, arranged in a factory-style layout atop colourful crates.
    Early replicas were cast from coloured candle waxThe display examines the shift from early replicas cast from coloured candle wax, which was historically poured into a box of agar jelly, to the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) replicas cast in silicon moulds that emerged in the 1970s and continue to be used today.
    “Even though the materials are different, ultimately, it hasn’t really changed,” said Wright.
    A contemporary “earthquake-proof burger” is included in the show”The process is exactly the same,” he continued, explaining that real food has always been used to create the moulds. “It’s quite analogue. It’s all handcrafted – there are no conveyor belts and automation.”
    “That means that there’s a versatility to making food replicas,” he continued. “Any restaurant or food establishment can have what it wants. So maybe your hamburger is just a little bit fatter than the one next door – you can give the craftspeople your fat hamburger, and they will make an exact replica of that.”
    Each of Japan’s 47 prefectures is represented by a replica of a local dish”Colours are also made according to actual food substances,” acknowledged Wright, referring to the selection of paints on display that are used to finish each replica, featuring names including pumpkin peel and croissant.
    Another section explores the evolution of food displays, highlighting how the introduction of heat-resistant materials allowed for more dynamic compositions – such as noodles being lifted from a handless fork or cheese oozing from a piece of airborne toast.
    The exhibition features a range of replicas displayed in myriad waysA playful, “earthquake-proof burger” formed from towering piles of artificial meat, relish and onions stands tall on one of the plinths.
    “When you display wax, it has to be flat, because it either melts in the heat or fades in the sunlight, which isn’t very effective as a marketing tool,” said Wright.
    “When PVC was introduced, you were able to tilt the dish by 45 to 60 degrees, therefore giving more exposure and more visibility to the outside of the model.”
    Applications of replicas beyond restaurant settings are also included in the exhibitionIn the centre of the gallery, a banquette-style table presents 47 models commissioned for the exhibition, created by leading food replica manufacturer Iwasaki.
    Arranged like a map, each model represents a dish from one of Japan’s 47 prefectures. There is zuwai-gani, shimmering orange snow crab served in the winter in Tottori, and “scattered sushi” from Okayama known as bara-zushi, arranged in a circular timber box.
    “We chose them for their variety, size, colour and shape,” said Wright, who explained that they consulted people across Japan when selecting the delicacies.

    Taste-Adjusting Chopsticks makes food taste saltier without adding salt

    Elsewhere, the first known food replica created for commercial purposes is on display. Completed in 1931 by Iwasaki Group founder Iwasaki Takizō, the model is a wrinkly yellow omelette topped with a dollop of red sauce and a replica of a dish that Iwasaki’s wife had just prepared in the kitchen at home.
    Applications of replicas beyond restaurant settings are also included in the exhibition, highlighting the expanding ways that people are using food models.
    Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture runs until 16 February 2025Mounted to one wall is a 3D chart produced for the Japan Diabetes Society classifying food groups according to their primary nutrients, while a “carrot preparation guide” for family caregivers and nursing home staff features a gradient of consistency – from finely cut vegetable rounds to a smooth paste.
    Visitors can also create their own bento box of replica food on a dedicated food assembly table covered with a red and white gingham tablecloth.
    Wright explained that wax food models were originally created in the early 20th century to introduce Japanese diners to less familiar cuisines imported from China and Europe, before restaurants began to commission replicas of local dishes.
    Today, the Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture is the first UK exhibition of its kind, and offers London audiences the chance to see handcrafted Japanese models up close.
    “In Japan, you’ll see exhibitions of competition pieces, but they only exist within a context of what people understand food replicates to be,” said Wright. “Whereas this kind of thing doesn’t really exist, and has never been shown before.”
    Elsewhere in London, social enterprise POOR Collective exhibited a collection of work by emerging local designers. Design studio Wax Atelier also presented an exhibition revealing how living trees can provide materials for design objects.
    The photography is courtesy of Japan House London.
    Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s Food Replica Culture takes place from 2 October 2024 to 16 February 2025 at Japan House London, 101-111 Kensington High Street, London W8 5SA.Visit Dezeen Events Guide for a guide to the festival and other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      Yama fishmonger in Tel Aviv was designed to display fish “like jewels”

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      Israeli architecture studio Baranowitz and Goldberg Architects has created Yama, a fishmonger in Tel Aviv with a sculptural interior that was informed by jewellery stores.

      The studio completely renovated the space, adding a sculpted ceiling that was designed to “create a ship-bottom-like formation” to underline the connection to the sea.
      Yama is located in Tel Aviv’s Florentin areaYama – which was named after yam, the Hebrew word for ocean – features a display area for showcasing fresh fish as well as prepackaged ready-to-cook dishes made by its owner, chef Yuval Ben Neriah.
      The display counters were designed to resemble the shape of a fin and have an all-white finish that contrasts with the fishmonger’s colourful walls.
      A red refrigerator holds drawers full of fishFor one wall, Baranowitz and Goldberg Architects created a bespoke clay-red drawer refrigerator that holds prepackaged goods.

      With the brief to “redefine the shopping experience that customers are accustomed to”, Baranowitz and Goldberg Architects designed the interior to emphasise the value of the product being sold.
      The fish is displayed like gems in a jewellery store”We suggested that rather than working with quantities and nonchalant arrangements of the product with the preparation of the fish being exposed, we wished to emphasize the values of the product within an elegant setting,” studio founders Irene Goldberg and Sigal Baranowitz told Dezeen.
      “It is this aspect of the carefully set display that promotes the value of what is presented, very much like jewels in a jewellery store.”
      Baranowitz and Goldberg Architects gave the fishmonger a sculptural ceilingSteel shelves in the same red hue as the refrigerated drawers hold delicatessen food that goes with the fish.
      The studio chose the colour palette to nod to the graffiti-covered walls in the surrounding area – the up-and-coming Florentin neighbourhood in southern Tel Aviv.

      Citrons et Huîtres oyster bar creates impression of “diving into an aquarium”

      “The colour palette is light in its essence, consisting of white and warm grey,” Baranowitz and Goldberg Architects said. “It is only the drawer refrigerator and display shelves that bring in the deep and vivid colour of clay-red.”
      “The purpose of the colour was two-fold: to create an assertive and strong backdrop of the central island and to recall the vitality of the downtown neighbourhood it is located at, with its graffiti art walls and vibrant young population.”
      The red-and-white interior references the surrounding neighbourhoodDespite designing the store to have a high-end look, the studio used deliberately simple materials as a contrast.
      “To balance the experience and merge with the vivid alive-and-kicking neighbourhood the store is located in, the finishes and materials selected for the store are not particularly high-end,” Baranowitz and Goldberg said.
      The architects used simple materials for the interior”On the contrary, most of them are simple in their essence and consist of concrete flooring, plaster and paint-finished metal,” the duo added. “The heart of the store is constructed in stone to elevate the display of the fish specifically on the central island.”
      To further underline Yama’s connection with the ocean, Baranowitz and Goldberg Architects added a decorative coral motif to the door handle leading into the fishmonger.
      The studio said it always designs bespoke door handles for its projects since the entrance is “the beginning of the story”.
      The door handle was given a decorative detail”For Yama, which has a very clean and pared-back design, the door handle is the only part that was given a decorative motif,” Baranowitz and Goldberg Architects said.
      “We used the graphic design motif that was developed by Anaba studio for all the packages in the fish shop,” the studio added.
      “The graphic element reminds [us of] elements from the sea, coral reef indeed, which also reminds us of seawater. We like to combine existing elements, it is part of a story of the place.”
      Other recent Tel Aviv projects include an indoor playground with tree-like columns and a pair of apartments with trees growing through the facade.
      The photography is by Amit Giron.
      Project credits:
      Architects: Irene Goldberg and Sigal BaranowitzLighting design: Orly Avron AlkabesStone Work: Fervital

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      “Fake fruit is just as absurd as fake meat” says commenter

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      In this week’s comments update, readers are discussing a low-impact alternative to “unsustainable” avocados and other top stories.

      Central Saint Martins graduate Arina Shokouhi has invented an avocado alternative called Ecovado, which is meant to wean people off the resource-intensive imported fruit.
      “This could be one solution of many”
      Readers had mixed feelings about the Ecovado, which contains a pale green, creamy foodstuff made from a combination of local ingredients that has been packaged in a fake avocado skin fashioned from wax.
      Tabitha Poppins is keen to give it a go: “I hope they make it to a local market so I can try one,” she said. “If they taste good and cost similar or less, I’ll switch in a heartbeat.”

      However, others were unsure. “Why imitate the form when you can offer a totally new alternative to avocado?” said Indrė Butkutė. “Food is a culture, not a product.”
      “Fake fruit is just as absurd as fake meat,” added Lena Feindt.
      DesignGeek thought that the design could contribute to reducing the impact of our diets.
      “It’s sad to see how much time people have on their hands to sit their asses down and criticise. This could be one solution of many that takes into consideration current food trends and tries to re-make them more locally and sustainably.”
      Would you try Ecovado? Join the discussion ›
      Foster + Partners unveils “iconic” supertall skyscraper in Kuwait”The inside areas of the uppermost floors are quite astonishing”
      The distinctive supertall skyscraper that Foster + Partners has created for the National Bank of Kuwait Headquarters in Kuwait City has sparked conversation among readers
      “Actually quite like the look of it and the quality of execution seems to be on point,” said KLM. “Evil villain vibes? Maybe. But it could equally be a superhero HQ.”
      Bsl agreed: “This building embraces what it is: an edifice of corporate vanity, but an elegant one at that,” the reader added. “There are interesting interiors and the materials will age well.”
      “The inside areas of the uppermost floors are quite astonishing,” added Simply Indulgence.
      What are your thoughts on the building? Join the discussion ›
      Michael Maltzan Architecture completes Ribbon of Light bridge with swooping arches in LA”Reminds me of Terminator 2″
      Readers are discussing the new Sixth Street Viaduct in Los Angeles, also named the Ribbon of Light for its multiple concrete arches lit from below.
      John loves it: “I drove by it this morning and it is beautiful,” he said. “Once all the parks and landscaping are finished around/under it, this will be even more incredible.”
      [email protected] is not so sure: “I like the integral design of the stairs but I’m concerned that there’s no railing. The approach needs to be upgraded to match the now-beautiful viaduct.”
      “Reminds me of Terminator 2,” said Logorithm. “Terminator 7 should be shot here.”
      Do you think the bridge is a good addition to LA? Join the discussion ›
      Styles and eras mingle inside “unfinished” diplomat’s home in Rome by 02AUnfinished apartment in Rome is “exquisite” and “stunning” say commenters
      Readers are impressed with a diplomat’s intentionally unfinished one-bedroom flat, which is located on the ground floor of an early twentieth-century building in Rome’s Flaminio district.
      “Highly calibrated,” commented JZ. “Really well done spatial moves. The shower with the plants!” he added. “This feels like the architectural equivalent of tattooing your body: each tattoo represents an event, a memory, something unique, held together loosely because of the poetics of the body.”
      “Exquisite. I’m impressed,” said Zea Newland.
      “Stunning. Every corner has its very own strong personality, even within the same room,” agreed Lndcntmpry. “A treasure trove of an apartment.”
      Do you like it, too? Join the discussion ›
      Comments update
      Dezeen is the world’s most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page.

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