TOKYO GUIDE| GANSO SHOKUHIN SAMPLE-YA ASAKUSA (JAPANESE FOOD MODELS)
When strolling around Japan on an empty stomach and looking for something to eat, have you ever noticed fake food models at a restaurant in a window display and thought that actually looks delicious! Well, there is actually a huge market for fake food models for restaurant business owners in Japan. In Asakusa, there is a place near the Sensoji Temple called Kitchen Town where they sell all sorts of items and goods for chefs and restaurant owners. There are many stores that sell fake foods to be on display. One of the oldest ones is Ganso Shokuhin Sample-Ya that has been making fake foods since 1932. Currently, they sell to tourists too but also offer classes to make one yourself! They have different courses to make different foods and depending on the time of year they will have different foods for seasonal cuisines.
You may also be wondering why one Earth these came to be? The exact origins are unclear but in the 1920s and 1930s it became more popular to eat out. To satisfy people who are not used to eating out, restaurant owners began placing these fake foods on their display to let customers know what they will get at the restaurant. However, it wasn’t an extremely common thing until foreigners made it a staple for restaurant owners to have. More foreigners began living in Japan in the early 20th century, so to help the language barrier, it was easy to have the foods on display so that foreigners can simply point to what they want so they know what they will get.
It’s definitely an interesting industry!
Asakusa Guide: A food model in the shape of carrots taking a bath.