Detailed and realistic food samples displayed outside restaurants certainly count as one of the more memorable visual delights of many a trip to Japan.

You can find them on sale in specialty shops but they tend to be expensive, and understandably so, considering the level of artistry and craftsmanship that goes into making them. There's even a competition at one famous sample maker where artists create works of art.

But what if you could not only take home one of these amazing food samples but also enjoy them as candles?

Since food samples are usually made either out of plastic or wax, it's a natural extension for the wax sample variety to take on a candle form.

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Kameyama food sample candles

Now easily available online from Village Vanguard's Online Store, these food sample candles from renowned candlemaker Kameyama are a fun souvenir of Japan and they make great gifts too:

Sushi set candles

Open the lid and you'll find a whole 8-piece sushi set, complete with pickled ginger and soy sauce, and a ceramic tray, just like in a nice sushi restaurant.

Price: 3,300 JPY (incl. tax). See product page here.

Onigiri candle

You may not realize it from the outside, but this is intended to be an umeboshi (pickled plum)-filled rice ball.

Burning the candle creates a well of red wax to appear, just as if you had bitten into the rice ball from the top.

Price: 748 JPY (incl. tax). See product page here.

Zarsu Soba noodle set candle

The latest addition to the food sample candle lineup is this cute zaru soba noddle candle, which comes in a set with chopsticks, a tiny plate of sliced green onion and a wasabi root and grater on the side (see complete set image on product page)

Price: 748 JPY (incl. tax). See product page here.