Kappabashi Street and 食品サンプル

On February 25, 2025 by admin With 0 Comments - Japan 2025, Travel

For as long as I can remember, my daughter has been obsessed with fake food. When we went to Ikea, she was far more interested in the rubber grapes and plastic apples in the displays than any stuffed animal or toy. So we were pretty happy to discover Kappabashi street not far from our house in Tokyo.

Kappabashi Street is home to restaurant supply stores selling everything from pots and pans to tableware and chef uniforms. But not only that. They also supply shokuhin sampuru, the plastic and rubber food that is used in restaurant window displays across the country. Everything you see below is fake. If it wasn’t wrapped in plastic, it would be hard to tell that it wasn’t real.

Kappabashi Street mascot Kappa
The Kappa, mascot of Kappabashi.
Fake food natto
Natto complete with slime!
fake food pancakes with bacon
The bacon and eggs are real works of art.
fake food whole mackerel
These fish were beautiful and they also made me hungry.
fake food different fish
Salmon and Mackerel.
fake food ramen Kappabashi
Ramen with chopsticks.
fake plastic beer and wine Kappabashi
Fake beer and wine. There were even drops of water condensate on the glasses.
fake food sushi sashimi Kappabashi
All types of sushi.
ceramic plate seller Kappabashi
One of many ceramic dish suppliers. There is a huge assortment of ceramic wares in Kappabashi, from restaurant grade plate wares to sake sets to art pieces. Prices ranged from cheap to very expensive. One of my favourite shops was Dengama. I bought this tiny porcelain soy sauce dispenser there:
porcelain soy sauce dispenser Dengama Kappabashi
plum blossoms Tokyo
As a bonus, these were the first plum blossoms that I have seen open. They smell so good. Spring is in the air.

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