It's edible.

This is "amezaiku," the traditional Japanese craft.

Delicate sculptures, usually of animals, birds, and fish, are molded out of sugar.

This is how Japanese candy art is made.

Artist Shinri Tezuka is one of the few people left in Japan who practice "amezaiku."

He is based at "Asakusa Amezaiku Ameshin" in the Taito City area of Tokyo.

One thing that makes candy art attractive is that it is consumable.

Of course, one might think it's too beautiful to eat, but this thought is actually the essence of its power.

People are attracted to the beauty in ephemeral entities, and I believe this is really a Japanese way of thinking.

The base of the artwork is a starchy syrup, which is heated to 90 degrees Celsius, almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and requires careful monitoring to ensure proper consistency.

The mixture is extracted, then kneaded by hand.

A small section is selected and pinched into a spherical shape.

Artists do this using their bare hands, which is a skill in itself.

The syrup is mounted on a stick, then formed into a shape by constant pulling and clipping.

The final shape is painted with food dye using delicate brushes.

There are many types of candy.

We use candy made from glutinous starch syrup, and also candy that doesn't use starch syrup at all.

We actually change the mixture depending on its use - for example, whether it's for eating immediately or for an exhibition.

Also, we change the mixture depending on the season.

Speed is important, as the candy must be molded before it sets.

A goldfish like this takes five minutes to sculpt and up to 10 minutes to paint.

At 30 years old, Tezuka is one of the youngest practitioners.

Almost nine years have passed since I started candy art.

In fact, I used to work as a pyrotechnist, but when I was looking for something interesting that would challenge my crafting skills and I could create in my own hands, I came across candy art.

There was almost no place that taught how to do it.

I couldn't find anybody to teach me candy art, so I had to start studying by myself.

"Amezaiku" is said to have started during the Heian period in the eighth century.

Sugar was traditionally spun into shapes for offerings at temples in Kyoto.

It became a street performance during the Edo period, which lasted from the 17th century to the 19th century, as its base starch ingredient, "mizumae," or water candy, became more popular.

Today, few professional "amezaiku" craftspeople exist in Japan.

"Asakusa Amezaiku Ameshin" have two shops in Tokyo.

I have eight apprentices and at last, these young people are saying they want to become candy artists.

Now we have a place that can accept people who want to become candy artists.