The Unique History of Japanese Plastic Food Samples
tokyoweekender.com
tokyoweekender.com
Some of the stores will sell models to individuals, despite being directed at the food industry.
Many of the cookware, metalware and china stores around here are display sites for volume sales and are less interested in selling one-off china to westerners. "it depends" -The knives they sell are fantastic but not having an entire side of bluefin tuna to de-bone, I couldn't justify one.
The tiny bespoke "your bidet or toilet will look like this" models in the plumbing supplies stores which are made of porcelain and fired with the exact revolting avocado-green or puke-pink hue you want are also very sweet. I can't quite decide what you'd do with them, maybe plant a tiny cactus or something.
If it is plastic-like, it is silicone.
If it is glass-like, it is silicon.
Getting these details right gives your writing credibility. Getting it wrong takes it away.
I also know that it would take approximately 10 seconds to look up the definition of the word (if they often get it wrong) and that if they aren't willing to spend 10 seconds to use the correct word, they are probably taking other shortcuts (in reasoning or research). This fact makes me less likely to accept their reporting and conclusions without corroborating evidence, because I trust them less.
Which is just saying what I said in my initial comment in a less succinct way.
But how does one know to look up the definition of the word? How does anyone know whether they're using every word correctly, without obsessively verifying _every_ word? I'm pretty sure I'm using "obsessively" correctly, but I'm not sure if I've ever looked up "obsession".
Silicon/silicone seems more egregious to a technical crowd, but some of us will obsess over "click/clique," "decimate," "begs the questions," whatever.
that's why once upon a time a published work went through multiple staff members, one of which had the very job you just explained.
now that the bar to publishing has been permanently lowered by technology and the current state of things writing quality has -- predictably -- declined.
I'd be more worried if I read a technical article about "silicone wafers." This is ultimately a human interest piece.
Admittedly all in Japanese, but the top part of the side bar shows you examples of pure fake foods, then the section under the "Sale" box gets you to fake-food style accessories, like USB drives, phone cases, and hair clips. Lots of pictures there to show the variety and quality!
(Edit: Sorry if this reads like a shill, I have no affiliation, and didn't even buy anything while I was there! Just took very touristy pictures.)
[1] http://morino-sample.jp/?mode=cate&csid=0&cbid=1803129&csid=...
Then it hit me. I was not in a model store but a model display case store. All those hobbyists would need a way to display their models and this store fit just that need.
I know a lady from Osaka who responded, when I said I'd be excited to return there: "Really? It's so boring here!" If she only knew. And to bring it full circle, her sister-in-law hand-makes fake food.
http://morino-sample.jp/?pid=142067608
Offtopic: curiously, if you try to use HTTPS then you would be redirected to HTTP version. Go figure.
Photo three is just kinda bad anyway.
Also, I imagine the restaurants have to regularly dust these off and check for spiderwebs etc., otherwise they'll quickly turn into the opposite of mouth-watering...