One innovative Japanese company has found a way to deliver its customers a taste of the sea but with imitations it touts to be "almost like the genuine article."

Fish paste products, known as surimi, have a long history in Asia and have even seen success in the Western market, but Kobe-based Kanetetsu Delica Foods Inc. has taken the process to new heights, perfecting their products to approach authenticity.

The company recently announced its scheduled release of an "almost fried oyster" product -- the latest addition to the almost sea food series. The fishy reproductions are proving a big success in meeting the demands of avid sea food lovers around the country who don't mind turning a blind eye as long as the taste is real.

Kamaboko, or cured surimi products, is typically made from pureed white fish, combined with food additives depending on the manufacturer, which is steamed until firm. Kanetetsu Delica Foods uses kamaboko and a fried surimi for its products.

Many consumers are attracted to the cheaper fish paste, which has a nearly identical texture and taste to the more pricey genuine sea food products. It also appeals to people averse to the hassles of cooking real meals at home.

Sold at 270 yen per package including tax, the series has already amassed total sales of 17 million units across Japan since being launched three years ago.

What's more, Kanetetsu Delica Foods says it has gotten the processing down to a science.

"A wide range of generations, including the younger generation who are usually not so familiar with fish paste products, have tasted the series due to its impactful name," Naoko Nachi, public relations officer at Kanetetsu Delica Foods, told Kyodo News in a phone interview.

"When they actually eat it and experience the taste and texture resembling the real thing, they share those feelings of surprise on social media sites and on the internet and the word gets around," Nachi said. FEATURE: "Almost" sea food products indulging Japanese palatesAlmost fried oysters - (Kanetetsu Delica Foods)

According to the company, "almost fried shrimps" that hit stores in September 2016 have sold especially well in Nagoya, central Japan, where fried shrimps are a popular dish.

The company, which was founded in 1926, was looking for a new product using its fish paste amid a shrinking market. Production of fish paste products fell to some 470,000 tons in 2015, compared to around 890,000 tons in 1985.

Data released by the fisheries ministry also has shown the average spending for fish paste products per household to be on a declining trend.

Nachi said it took about two years and nearly 100 prototypes to merchandize "almost crabs," the first of the series that went on sale in March 2014.

"We wanted to make something that consumers would feel satisfied with, and something that even real crabs (if they were so inclined) would feel envious about," Nachi said.

The "almost fried oyster" product, whose ingredients contain oyster extract but no actual oysters, will go on sale Sept. 1. A special tartar sauce comes with it, which helps enhance the distinct flavor and bitterness of oysters when toasted, the company said.

The products are an especially easy sell for Japan's popular bento lunch boxes.

"Just as with the other products, the almost fried oysters taste good even when they have gotten cold, so it's ideal for bento lunch boxes," Nachi said.

In making the "almost scallops" product, an in-depth chemical analysis of the amino acids in real scallops was conducted, while the company also says it has reproduced the same fiber-like texture unique to scallops and crabs.

"I hope the series will be an opportunity for the younger generation in their 20s and 30s to get interested in fish paste products," Nachi said.

Surimi, in the form of "crab sticks," is also used for the California rolls popularized in the United States. Fish balls and fish cakes made from fish paste are also commonly sold in Asian supermarkets abroad.

As for Kanetetsu Delica Foods, it has its sights set on an expanding market of "almost" sea food products for a variety of palates.

"Every time we launch a new product, expectations from consumers have risen so the bar for a new product is higher. But we would like to come up with tastier, more interesting 'almost' products that would amaze consumers," Nachi said.

FEATURE: "Almost" sea food products indulging Japanese palatesAlmost Crabs - (Kanetetsu Delica Foods)