Image used for illustrative purposes

Japan’s high quality food samples can be a slimy preventer of umbrella theft

If you've ever taken a stroll down a food court or simply a street filled with restaurants in Japan, you've likely noticed some incredibly high-quality plastic food samples in the window. These intricately crafted samples give and instant idea of the shop's menu (which can be a lifesaver for those who don't speak Japanese), cutting down on menu reading time and attracting customers.

The craft behind such realistic food samples has its own fandom, as many find them to be be aesthetically charming and even fashionable as accessories. Kanapei (@kanapei_fflab) is part of that fandom, even calling themselves a "plastic food sample patriot".

Kanapei recently realized a genius way to utilize the high quality their beloved food samples to prevent umbrella theft! As many people use non-descript plastic umbrellas that all look alike in Japan, it can be hard to distinguish one from another in front of say, a convenience store, and so often many get taken--accidentally or not--by the wrong person.

No worries for Kanapei--they made it so nobody would want to pick up their umbrella.

Source: @kanapei_fflab

"...please listen to me here--"an umbrella that definitely nobody will take from you."

Attached to the handle is Kanapei's handmade and realistic food sample of natto--Japan's fermented soybeans that are characterized by their sticky and slimy texture and pungent aroma! The design is even completed with grains of rice and stains of the karashi mustard usually served with natto.

Even the biggest natto fan and would-be thief would recoil at grabbing a handful of it--gooing up their hands and likely carrying around quite the smell for the rest of the day. Even so, Kanapei's design was a big hit on Twitter, particularly among fellow natto-heads who wish the natto handle was a product they could buy themselves.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.