For several years artist Koshi Kawachi has been putting a favorite children's snack called "umaibo" to an unusual use — sculpting the puffed corn sticks into little statues of the Buddha.
At his home in Tokyo he has 107 of these "Umaibutsu" ("Tasty Buddha") under a glass case.
Kawachi sculpted these five years ago. The number is one short of the 108 earthly desires of Buddhism, and although he continues to create the final piece, he says he always yields to greed and ends up eating it.