Candy Animals Crafted with Traditional Japanese Art of Amezaiku

Meet Shinri Tezuka, a highly skilled artisan candy maker whose masterpieces make animal crackers look crude. Using an ancient Japanese art-form called “amezaiku”, Tezuka creates detailed animal-shaped lollipops that look incredibly lifelike.

Tezuka, 26, owns a small shop in Tokyo’s Asakusa district called “Ameshin” – one of Japan’s only two stores specializing in amezaiku. The self-taught artist works in front of his customers, crafting exquisite pieces of glass-like candy.

Tezuka explained that although amezaiku is at least five centuries old, it never had patrons or an apprentice system. “It was like street culture. People who liked it, did it. Without anyone’s help, it has survived for 500 years. That shows how much amezaiku means to people. I want to preserve this culture, so my shop and my techniques will be around in 1,000 years.”