Konapun!

The plate the fried shrimp are on is probably about the size of a quarter.
[All photos are screenshots from RRcherrypie's videos]
I learned how the Japanese are making leaps and bounds in all things tiny through this Bon Appetit article. Konapun is "a highly sophisticated Play-Doh made from sodium alginate," and it is something I probably would've gone crazy for as a little kid... Or let's not kid myself, I'd thoroughly enjoy this at 24 years old.

Learn more, after the jump!

I watched all of RRcherrypie's Konapun videos (she also makes stuff with something called whipple), and it's amazing! There are several different types of Konapun powders -- powders for cake, powders for meats, powders for crepes... And probably the coolest powder? The one used to make little fish roe pearls to top your Konapun sushi with!

There's a powder specifically used to "fry" things too. I found this really fascinating. The little kitchen set-ups that the Konapun powders appear to come up with don't actual work -- so no heat. But you stir the Konapun "oil" powder and then put in your Konapun donut or tempura, and the "oil" starts to bubble and the food actually floats up, just like in real frying!
[Watch the donuts video here]
Also, apparently, die-hard Konapuners only use the teeny utensils provided to whip up their Konapun delicacies -- like teeny tongs to push your potato sticks into your teeny fry basket.
[the burgers and fries video]
Anyone going to Japan any time soon?