Of course, there is not such thing as a Food Replica State of Japan but there is a region in Japan that specializes in making food replicas for the food industry Japan-wide. That region is called Gujo Hachiman. Gujo has been a food replica capital for decades, with the first food replica factory, Iwasaki Mokei (Sample Village Iwasaki), was opened in 1932.
The replicas are made using wax, although modern technologies have also contributed in the food replica making business with modern machinery and methods.
Visit a food replica factory in Gujo, here’s a map courtesy of Japan Guide:
The Takayama Festival is held twice a year in Japan in the city of Takayama – once in Spring (14-15 April) and Autumn (9-10 Oct). It is ranked as one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan and should not be missed if you are ever in a nearby city. The history of the festival is rather vague, covered by centuries of tradition. But in the basic sense, since the festival is celebrated twice a year in Spring and Autumn, one can safely base it that it celebrates the start of cycle (spring = growth, new beginning, etc) and the end of the cycle (autumn = death, return, change).
One of Japan’s three most beautiful festival, the event does not lack tourists and visitors in participation. The Shinto festival is held twice in a year, spring and autumn, in the old town of Takayama. This year’s spring Takayama festival will be held on the April 14-15 2008. So do try to catch it because it is a sight to behold. The throngs of people visiting the old towns brings the sleepy place to life.
There are usually evening and morning events with beautiful processions, floats and performances in traditional costumes.
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