A giant Mona Lisa replica was created Sunday with 24,000 "sembei" rice crackers in Soka, Saitama Prefecture, successfully winning recognition as the world's largest mosaic made of rice crackers.
In a bid to promote local specialty "Soka Sembei" abroad, some 200 residents of the city north of Tokyo had taken part in the creation at a gymnasium since Saturday, using the sembei in seven different colors -- in flavors of soy sauce, matcha green tea, sugar and others -- to resemble the shade and shadow of the Renaissance masterpiece.
The final pieces were placed Sunday by the mayor and others, finishing off a 13-meter-long, 9-meter-wide mosaic reproduction of the painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
When officials from Guinness World Records certified it as a record, participants applauded.
"It was fun," said 7-year-old Mei Hamano, who took part in the creation with her family. "It's amazing that you can draw a painting with sembei."
The replica was immediately dismantled and the sembei were given away as free gifts.
