Since we are in the middle of the Fish section of Japanese Cooking 101, here’s an interesting story about a plastic model of…a fish. Sounds weird, you say? Well you have to see this to believe it. It’s made by a figurine and model maker called Hobbystock, and designed by a 3rd generation Tsukiji market wholesale company called Yamawa.
The model is 33cm (about 13 inches) long. Not as big as a full size bluefin tuna at the Tsukiji Market - the type that fetches thousands of dollars - but still pretty hefty. It comes packaged in a realistic looking box, packed in styrofoam, rather like you might get a fresh fish direct from a supplier in Japan.
And, it comes completely apart, exactly how a real tuna is cut up by a professional. It re-assembles again of course, and can be displayed on the included display stand.
It looks like a neat way to teach your kids, or yourself too, how to cut up a fish, don’t you think? Well..the kicker is that this amazingly detailed model costs 29,400 yen - that’s about US$295. So it’s clearly not a toy. Maybe an ultimate display item for a fish shop, or a sushi restaurant? It’s not quite clear who the intended audience is for this. I’d love to take a look at it in person though.
You can see more pictures here, here and here. (Hat tip to Francesco.)
