The Dazzling Craft of Amezaiku

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Amezaiku is the Japanese art of candy sculpting, and if you haven’t heard of it before, you’re in for a treat! In this video, an amezaiku artist is interviewed about her craft, and we learn about the creative process that brings these little wonders to life. But first, a little background on the art.

“Ame” means candy, while “saiku” means a craft or piece of handiwork, hence the name Amezaiku, or candy sculpture. These clever crafts are often found at Japanese festivals, and are are a popular novelty food item! People can put in an order for a specific candy sculpture and then watch with the rest of the crowd as the artist brings the little figurine to life. Animals are still the most common requests, but characters such as Pokémon are quickly gaining popularity.

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The process is a complex one, starting with a very precise recipe for the candy itself.  If you’re one of the lucky artists to know the recipe, then your practice perfecting your craft begins. The artists have to quickly mold and shape the hot candy before it hardens into its final shape. They use simple tools such as tweezers or scissors to pull the candy base into the shape they need it to be, but they also use their fingers which means that they must become used to working with very hot sugar without burning themselves. Finally, the sculpture can be painted using an edible food coloring paint, or coloring can be added to the sugar base itself before the sculpting process.

These crystalline candy creations are as sweet as they are beautiful, since these detailed works of art are meant to be eaten! Doesn’t it make you want to collect a candy sculpture of each of the Pokémon you’ve caught so far on Pokémon Go? We definitely want to. Would you ever try taking up the art of Amezaiku? Let us know in the comments!