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Tomoko Shibata, a food artist from Japan, has elevated her lunchbox game to the next level. From famous cartoon characters to Christmas or Halloween-themed, this artist’s adorable lunches are just too cute to eat.

On Instagram, Tomoko, aka Tomato, has over 143K followers who are always mesmerized by the artist’s work. Tomoko herself shared how she comes up with new and fresh ideas for her designs: "I often come up with ideas while grocery shopping, but sometimes I start with a motif I want to create and then look for the ingredients. Many of my ideas come to me spontaneously. I also get inspiration from my two sons," shared Tomoko.

More info: Instagram | tiktok.com | x.com | youtube.com

Bored Panda reached out to Tomoko, who shared more about her food art.

First of all, Tomoko commented on which creation using fruits and vegetables is her favorite.

"My favorite characters made from mandarin oranges are among my favorites, especially Psyduck from Pokémon," wrote Tomoko.

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    The artist also shared what other themes, besides cute animals and flowers, are her sources of inspiration.

    Tomoko wrote: "I love themes related to Japan's four seasons, as well as events like Christmas and Halloween."

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    Tomoko’s food art seems too precious to eat. Therefore, we were curious what the artist thinks about them being eaten after so much work went into making them.

    "All of my art is created with the intention of being eaten. I don't use unnatural coloring, and I simply add a creative touch to everyday foods. Sometimes, I create pieces that I even feel like keeping as decorations, but after taking a photo, we eat them as usual. My goal is for everyone to enjoy and have fun while eating my creations," explained Tomoko.

    Tomoko’s work is extremely popular both in Japan and internationally. We asked how the artist feels about her success.

    "I am very happy that so many people get to see my work. I also learned that the Japanese characters I use as motifs are very popular worldwide, which makes me proud as a Japanese person," Tomoko expressed her happiness.

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    Alex Boyd
    Community Member
    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I like that this one looks like something an average person could do! It would be really fun for a fancy tea party.

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    Alex Boyd
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    5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Another one that looks reasonably practical! The super-artistic ones are cool too, but I like seeing ideas I might be able to do.

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