Fake Food Accessories For Your Hair, Because Japan

Japanese shop Fake Food Hatanaka was selling fake food accessories for your hair, with prices in the original Incredible Things write-up starting at around $30 and climbing from there. Finally, a way to tell the world you love spaghetti without having to say a single word. Or, you know, without actually wearing your dinner.

These were not ordinary food-shaped hair clips that happened to resemble a snack from across the room. The company specialized in convincing food replicas, the kind associated with Japanese restaurant displays, and took that idea into the wardrobe. The result was headwear that looked suspiciously like somebody had mistaken a salon appointment for a buffet.

One look at the spaghetti pieces and the joke becomes clear: the noodles are supposed to look like actual noodles. There were also other dishes and breakfast-inspired designs, turning what would normally sit on a plate into something that could sit on your head. A bacon-themed hair accessory? Absolutely. A hairstyle that makes people wonder whether lunch has already started? Even better.

Fake Food Hatanaka called its accessory line ii-Fake. Contemporary coverage in October 2016 described pasta-and-sauce headpieces, egg-topped noodle designs and a bacon bow among the attention-grabbing options. The same kind of realism that makes a restaurant display appetizing makes these accessories wonderfully ridiculous. The food is fake, but the double takes are real.

And this was more than a random internet gag. In August 2016, the ii-Fake collection also appeared at a limited-time pop-up at TOKYO FANTASTIC Omotesando, where the selection included food-themed accessories such as fried-potato earrings and egg-inspired hair pieces. The brand was having fun with a very recognizable craft: reproducing the look of food so precisely that your first instinct might be to reach for a fork.

Of course, the budget version is still available in your kitchen. Slap some real spaghetti on your head and walk out the door. Far cheaper, probably messier, and potentially handy if you get hungry, which does happen sometimes. Keep an open mind. And maybe keep a napkin nearby.

The distinction is that the genuine novelty accessories were meant to be worn, not eaten. That made them a considerably more sensible choice for anyone wanting an absurd food-themed look without tomato sauce slowly making its way down their forehead. “Sensible” is doing a lot of work in that sentence, admittedly.

There was also something wonderfully deliberate about making a completely recognizable meal into an accessory. A tiny decorative bow might go unnoticed, but a heap of fake noodles perched above your forehead is practically a conversation starter. It invites a second look, and then probably the inevitable question: Is that food? The technically correct answer is no, though it certainly looks committed to the role.

If you want to revisit the idea today, Fake Food Hatanaka still has an official online presence featuring food replicas and accessories. That does not establish that these exact 2016 pieces, their original prices, or individual designs remain available. For the original collection, the appeal is simple: dinner on your head, no cooking necessary. What a time to have hair.