Japanese Sample Food Making and Asakusa History Tour

Near public transportation

Transportation is wheelchair accessible

Surfaces are wheelchair accessible

Most travelers can participate

Videos of Japan's “fake food” techniques have been a viral sensation for years. Many people are amazed with the intricacies of this elaborate yet delicate craft of making fake food by hand and showcasing them as displays in front of restaurants. The sample fake food look just like real food and are almost indistinguishable, which is a lot of fun for people to guess which food is real or not.Almost every restaurant will have these glistening, perfectly-plated fake food models that are tempting you from their windows. The fake foods are made of plastic or wax, and to this day each one is crafted by hand, and can take anywhere from a few hours to entire entrees that can take up to a week. Because of the detail in each food sample, artisans say it takes up to 10 years to perfect the craft and the imitations can cost up to 10 times the real food they represent (sometimes up to $500 USD or 55,000 JPY).It's said that fake food production began in the 1930s with Takizo Iwasaki, an artisan from Gujo Hachiman. Story goes, he made an omelet out of wax that was so realistic his wife couldn't tell it apart from the real thing. He would go on to start one of the biggest plastic food manufacturers in Japan that now controls an estimated 60% of the fake food market. By the 1950s, fake food had caught a wave of popularity.

In the 3-hour Japanese Sample Food Making Experience and Asakusa History Tour, learn about the history and traditional craft of Sampuru food with an English-speaking guide and translator before going to Kappabashi and Sensoji Temple. Before the workshop, see different types of Sampuru models and learn how this craft was started and what the significance of sampuru food displays are in Japan. After the explanations, join a workshop with a small group where you can get a hands-on experience in making tempura sampuru foods, which you can take home as a souvenir. This is a great experience for anyone, including young children (age 7 and up).

Only people who are 7 years old or above may participate. All children from age 7 to 14 must be accompanied by a guardian (age 20 or older) at all times.

How to Prepare

Attire: The tour operates in all weather conditions (except when there is a typhoon or other extreme situations). Please dress appropriately for all weather conditions. In such case, please note that the tour may change slightly to accommodate for the weather.

Other: Since guests are to put their hands into wax to make food samples, we recommend that guests do not have nail art or polish on their hands (please note that the wax may remove some nail art or polish from the guests’ hands during the sample food making process).

If you cancel the tour any time after we have sent you event details, the service fee of 15% of your total tour cost will be nonrefundable

What if I’m late?

Kindly note that for join-in tours, we respectfully request guests to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time to ensure a smooth start for all participants. Late arrival will be considered a no-show, and the booking will be treated as cancelled.

For private tours, the guide will wait up to 30 minutes after the scheduled start time. If guests do not arrive within this time, the tour will be considered cancelled.

Standard Cancellation Policy

Cancellation fee of 100% is charged if cancelled 7 days or less before the event

Cancellation fee of 50% is charged if cancelled 14 days or less before the event

Cancellation fee of 25% is charged if cancelled 20 days or less before the event

This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers