You need only a sweet tooth to excavate these Kofun inspired cookie sandwiches. Designed by confectionary company Sweets Factory Cerise to commemorate the registration of ancient Japanese burial mounds as world heritage sites, the crunchy treats feature a motif resembling the stereotypical shape of the tumuli.

Known as ‘Kofun’ in Japan, ancient Japanese burial grounds give their name to the era during which they were constructed (3rd to 6th century AD). The majority of these burial mounds are shaped like a key – with a circular square end joined at the centre – a design unique to Japan. Located all across Japan, there have been roughly 161.5 thousand discovered. Hyogo prefecture has the largest collection of kofun in Japan, with about 16,500 sites in the area.

Although Kofun aren’t generally considered spooky, being a large tomb protecting or perhaps encasing the dead, it is hard not to feel a sense of foreboding when thinking about them. Therefore, the release of the Kofun caramel cookies, couldn’t have come at a better time of year; the spooky halloween season.

The cookies sandwich around fresh caramel made from a slow boiled mixture of Hokkaido fresh cream, butter, and honey. The centre of the top sandwich layer is then hollowed out into the stereotypical key shape of ancient Kofun burial mounds, and then filled in with crushed pistachio nuts. The resulting snack is a heavenly mixture of smooth, creamy caramel and crunchy nutty biscuity goodness.

The Kofun caramel cookies come individually packaged in a 12 piece set, which you can either share out amongst friends or keep to yourself for when you’re feeling peckish. A set of 12 costs 2,160 yen + tax, and can be purchased from Sweets Factory Cerise Mikunigaoka Station in Osaka or online on the sales page.