Just south of Central Tokyo, in the district of Shinbashi, is a 104-year-old wagashi shop that’s been family-run for three generations. There, you’ll find a peculiar Japanese sweet called Seppuku Monaka. Indeed, it’s a suicide-themed desert that borrows its name from the Japanese ritual suicide of stomach cutting (also known as harakiri) that dates back over 800 years. But for Yoshihisa Watanabe, the third generation proprietor of Shinshodo who came up with the idea, the ominous dessert was more about remembering history than creating sensational sweets.

Watanabe sells, on average, 2,000 Seppuku Monaka per day! Find out how this apologetic sweet gained enormous popularity by visiting Spoon & Tamago below!