Japan is always light years ahead of the western world, what with their square watermelons and talking toilets.

Even their candy is taken to the next level; ironically, something so futuristic-seeming actually has roots in Japan’s past. The super-cute and intricate candy lollipops, called amezaiku, are a centuries-old form of folk art from the 17th – 19th centuries in Edo Japan.

Made simply with the use of one’s hands and a pair of scissors, an artist shapes color-dyed mizuame (a thick and sugary sweetener) into mini-sculptures. The detail is incredible, a veritable feast for the eyes.