Candy That's a Feast for the Eyes
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
.. S2 | FRIDAY,APRIL 4, 2014 INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK TIMES )+76 )*¤8- craftsmanship PHOTOGRAPHS BY KOSUKE OKAHARA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES Candy that’s a feast for the eyes TOKYO An artisan reimagines the traditional shapes for a taffy-like treat BY KELLY WETHERILLE Attend just about any major street fes- tival in Japan and, along with vendors Feather touch selling fried octopus balls and yakisoba Takahiro Yoshihara, noodles, you are bound to encounter an bottom left, owns a amezaiku artist perched on a low stool, shop dedicated to creating intricate candies as local chil- amezaiku, the art of dren stare in wonder. making whimsical Amezaiku loosely translates as shapes out of ‘‘candy craft,’’ and it is an art that has superheated candy. evolved over hundreds of years. Origi- attached to the end of wooden sticks. hobby or something. A. For one, well, of course the candy is freely. So we can ask the children what Above, the signs of nally brought to Japan from China and The candy is pinched, pulled and cut in- hard but we heat it to soften it, and the pose they’d like, and we can make it the Chinese zodiac. used to create offerings at temples, it to the desired shape. Finishing touches, Q. How did you get into amezaiku? What first mizuame you take is at 80 degrees that way for them. Then after that we At left, crafting a began to flourish in the mid-Edo period like eyes, the stripes of a tiger, or pollen drew you to it? Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s can add props and other parts. So since crane. Bottom right, (1603-1867), when its raw ingredient, clusters on flowers are painted on with A. When I was a child I would go to fes- extremely hot. And you have to make there are many things we can do with it, the store, which mizuame, began to be produced in large food dye. tivals and see the candy makers, and I the candy before it cools, so you can’t people get very happy to buy one of opened in 2008 in quantities. Japanese amezaiku artists were tra- thought, I want to do that. hesitate. these. the Sendagi district ditionally like traveling salespeople, But then when I grew up I forgot You need to have an image of what of Tokyo. setting up their stands at whatever lo- about that and went into a different line you’re going to make in your mind from Q. Do you think you’ll continue doing cation was deemed to be best for busi- of work. I worked in a restaurant cook- the beginning, and then just do it all at this kind of work for the rest of your ness. Today, they are mainly seen at ing food and, since I was cooking Italian once. So that is quite difficult. Also to career? festivals and corporate or cultural food, I went to Italy to study a bit and come up with something that is not A. Yes, I want to. I want to preserve the events. travel a bit. already done —to do something unique profession. Takahiro Yoshihara, 38, is one of the During that time —when I went —is also very difficult. There are a lot of people who don’t few amezaiku artists to have a perma- from Japan overseas —Ireally felt how You do burn yourself when you first know about amezaiku, so I want them nent shop as his base. In the Sendagi Japanese I was and I thought that in- start making amezaiku. But eventually to notice this one element of Japanese district of Tokyo, Amezaiku Yoshihara stead of cooking Italian food, I wanted —of course your hands get used to it — culture. I want to show them someone opened in 2008, after Mr. Yoshihara had to do something related to Japanese but you also learn how to handle the who is working hard at it. apprenticed with a master for about culture. candy without burning yourself. That’s I think in the future, amezaiku won’t two years and worked on his own for And it was at that time that I re- one of the toughest things in the begin- survive without these kind of shops. four. He says the shop, where three oth- membered I had wanted to do ning. er artisans work alongside him, was the amezaiku, so when I came back to Ja- Q. Why is that? first in Japan dedicated to amezaiku. pan I started doing it. Q. Is there a particular shape or item A. At festivals, you buy amezaiku for that sells the best? yourself, and the fun part is watching it Q. Why did you decide to open an Q. Does every amezaiku artist make the A. Our original character —arabbit, being made. But in a shop like this one, amezaiku shop? same figures, or is each person’s work whose name is Amepyon —we sell the people come to buy something to give A. In the past, amezaiku was done in unique? most of him. to someone else, so the person who re- the streets, like on roads children would A. Basically, in the beginning, you copy Usually amezaiku shapes are anim- ceives it doesn’t know how it was made. take on their way home from school, or the kinds of things that the person you als, but to suddenly change the pose of And if the thing they receive is not ex- at parks or shrines. But now we can’t learned from makes. But then from one means you have to make it in a dif- tremely well made, they won’t be do any of that because of hygiene laws. there you start thinking things like, ‘‘If ferent way, which can be quite diffi- happy to receive it. So unfortunately the amezaiku artists I do it this way, I can make something cult. One thing I noticed since I opened the have disappeared. beautiful,’’ and your style gradually But for our original character, we shop is that I think the shapes become I hear a lot of people saying, ‘‘We changes. made it so that we can change the pose more and more beautiful. never see amezaiku anymore,’’ so I Of course, a lot of people make the Mizuame means ‘‘water candy,’’ and thought I wanted to create a place same kinds of animals, but usually at a is created when starch is converted to where you could go and see amezaiku glance you can see that they’re slightly sugar. The taffy-like substance is solid anytime. When I thought about that, I different. at room temperature but becomes pli- thought the only legal way to do it able when heated. would be to open a shop. So, rather than Q. You also do workshops from the shop. In the Chinese style of candy making, going around to different places and What made you decide to offer that artists blow into a ball of mizuame to festivals, I thought people would notice service? create balloon-like shapes —much like a shop more. A. Most people have seen amezaiku in glass blowing —but that practice is places like festivals, and I think a lot of now outlawed in Japan for hygienic rea- Q. Recently there is a lot of talk about people have thought that they’d like to sons. Instead, candy makers use their Japan’s traditional arts disappearing. try making it themselves. I want to ful- hands, as well as tools like scissors and Would you say that is true of amezaiku? fill that dream for them. pliers, to shape animals, flowers and A. Yes. As far as I know, there are only In actuality, amezaiku is quite diffi- mythical creatures. about 30 people who are doing cult, and a lot of people don’t realize They start with balls of soft amezaiku now in Japan. Of course, that until they’ve tried doing it them- mizuame, dyed with food coloring and there are some people from the young- selves. Then they can really under- er generation who have started doing stand the true meaning of amezaiku. ONLINE: THE CANDY MENAGERIE it, but I think there are a lot of people More photographs of Takahiro who can’t easily make a living from it, Q. What are the most challenging Yoshihara’s creations. inyt.com/style so maybe they end up doing it as a aspects of amezaiku?.