'Strange and exciting': Japanese food sculpture goes on show in London

Sampuru are a restaurant staple – a 3D version of menus. And such is the precision craftsmanship in their creation, they cost far more than the real thing

The silver-stripe round herring is a delicate fish with a metallic band along its flanks. It can only be eaten fresh in the area where it’s caught – the warm waters of southern Japan in Kagoshima prefecture. Served as kibinago sashimi, it has become a regional delicacy: tiny shiny fish served on a plate, coiled like chainmail.

If your 2024 travel plans don’t include Kagoshima, you could instead head to Kensington, London, to see this dish. From October, a very special version of kibinago sashimi will be on display at the Japan House cultural center as part of Looks Delicious! This is the UK’s first exhibition of sampuruthe realistic food replicas used in Japan in place of printed menus.