Replica office products create online buzz.

 

Japan’s Iwasaki Company, famous for its realistic food models used by restaurants, has expanded its range to include stationery items that have attracted rave reviews on social media.

 

On closer inspection, items such steak and onigiri balls are pen holders, while the spilled miso soup is a smartphone stand.

 

This is the first time the company, founded in 1932, has introduced products for general consumers.

 

The company sells or lends food replicas to around 10,000 restaurants and other businesses around the country to give consumers an instant idea of what menu items will look like.

 

Typically, replicas are made by dipping real food into silicone to create a mould. 

 

The company said it was adamant about ensuring the stationery items look real and are humorous.

 

A small cupcake can be used as a plastic bottle cap, while a half-melted ice cream contains a magnet inside so it can hold paper clips.

 

The range also includes a smartphone case modelled after an apple pie.

 

The novelty items immediately generated an online buzz when they were released earlier this year and some are already out of stock.

 

To view Iwasaki’s stationery items, go to its online shop at (https://iwasaki-ts.stores.jp/).