“Oh my god, my laptop!!!” Next Level Pranks with Ultra-Realistic Japanese Food Samples

A shocking scene! Imagine returning to your desk to discover this absolute crime! This photo that makes you doubt your eyes (and sanity) is trending on Twitter in Japan. 

This prank was set-up by Japanese company IWASAKI that makes “food samples”. Yes, the broken egg and its gooey contents is an elaborate replica. IWASAKI’s Official Twitter also shows other “creative” ways to use the egg, accidentally dropping an egg, exploding egg in the microwave, and an egg that’s been sat on. 

Food samples displayed in restaurants are a unique development of Japanese culture. Some are made so well they are indistinguishable from the real thing, and customers can better imagine how the food tastes as compared to looking at flat no-depth photographs. 

Nowadays, food samples are also popular as omiyage (お土産) aka souvenirs. They frequently appear in the media, and tourists love buying food sample keychains and smartphone cases. 

IWASAKI Co., Ltd. is one of the most famous food sample manufacturers in Japan. The company’s history spans over 90 years. The company has produced many food replicas for viewing pleasure as art, and as restaurant decorations. 

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The secret behind IWASAKI’s food samples is making people feel “I want to eat that!” “That looks good [to eat]!”. “If it’s just a reproduction, it may be possible to use a 3D printer someday. But I believe that a craftsman’s sensitivity is necessary to connect with people’s feelings,” tweeted IWASAKI. 

IWASAKI’s Official Website also accepts orders in English. If you are a business that would like to use food samples in your own restaurant, how about contacting them? 

Photos provided courtesy of IWASAKI ( Japanese / English ）