What is the historical origin of "Sugar Hosokuri", a famous Japanese sugar craft?

Have you ever traveled to Japan and seen candy crafts? Sugar Hosokuri?

It is said that the Japanese candy craft originated in the 8th century. In the Edo period, craftsmen used to sell the craftsmen on the street to bring joy to the people at the time. After that, the technique of candy crafting was slowly inherited, but since it was not a mainstream culture, there is little detailed documentation about it that has survived to the present day. Although the candy craft has been passed down for 500 years, there is no specific art system or art school, it is more like a kind of street art, which is passed down completely by people's love.

It is also said that this is very similar to the traditional Chinese intangible cultural heritage of the Beijing candy man, which is one of the traditional arts of Japan. The temperature of nearly 90 degrees of syrup, with the craftsmen's manual skills and just a pair of scissors to create different shapes. Due to the nature of candy, which melts when hot and solidifies when cold, the craftsmen have to finish the shapes within a few minutes once they take the syrup out of the pot. Candy craftsmanship differs from sculpture in that it does not require the removal of any parts. Not a single bit of syrup inserted on a thin stick is wasted. This craft is quite a test of the artisan's skill, and the process is very difficult due to the high temperatures that need to be endured when molding and the necessity for quick eyes and hands. The hands of the craftsmen are often subject to various burns and cuts. It only takes a few years for the hands of an artisan to become disfigured. While Chinese candy men are mostly based on myths, fairy tales, etc., Japanese candies are based on real-life representations of flora and fauna, which are more lifelike compared to the vividness of Chinese candy men.

The lollipop looks like a fan in the hands of Japanese people, so it is called fan candy. 5 patterns are traditional Japanese and handle. There is the "Bo Chidori" which symbolizes the happiness of husband and wife, and the "Yanagiban" which symbolizes the vitality of life. Traditional culture is incorporated into the making of the candies to make them more vibrant.