Takizo Iwasaki (岩崎 瀧三, Iwasaki Takizō) (September 12, 1895 - 1965) was a Japanese businessman who is credited with the invention of " shokuhin sampuru", the plastic models of menu items commonly displayed in restaurant street-front windows in Japan. [1] [2]
Iwasaki was born in Gujo Hachiman Japan on September 12, 1895. [3] He is said to have been inspired to create his first shokuhin sampuru after seeing drops of candle wax forming on the tatami mat floor of his apartment. [4] After many months of trial and error, Iwasaki was able to produce a fake omelette, complete with simulated tomato sauce, that his wife thought was real on first glance. [2] In 1932, his fake omelette was used in a display at a department store in Osaka. [2]
He later opened a company called Iwasaki Be-I Co., Ltd., in Gujo Hachiman, his hometown. The company still enjoys a large share, an estimated 60% of the Japanese market for shokuhin sampuru, [5] and the town of Gujo Hachiman is now known as the food replica capital of the Japan. [5] [4]
Iwasaki was featured as a Google Doodle on 12 September 2016. [6]
Takizo Iwasaki (岩崎 瀧三, Iwasaki Takizō) (September 12, 1895 - 1965) was a Japanese businessman who is credited with the invention of " shokuhin sampuru", the plastic models of menu items commonly displayed in restaurant street-front windows in Japan. [1] [2]
Iwasaki was born in Gujo Hachiman Japan on September 12, 1895. [3] He is said to have been inspired to create his first shokuhin sampuru after seeing drops of candle wax forming on the tatami mat floor of his apartment. [4] After many months of trial and error, Iwasaki was able to produce a fake omelette, complete with simulated tomato sauce, that his wife thought was real on first glance. [2] In 1932, his fake omelette was used in a display at a department store in Osaka. [2]
He later opened a company called Iwasaki Be-I Co., Ltd., in Gujo Hachiman, his hometown. The company still enjoys a large share, an estimated 60% of the Japanese market for shokuhin sampuru, [5] and the town of Gujo Hachiman is now known as the food replica capital of the Japan. [5] [4]
Iwasaki was featured as a Google Doodle on 12 September 2016. [6]