"The gate"
The gates for the castles and samurai houses were normally heavy and strong. They had no idea when war break out or when they would be ambushed by an enemy so they need to make them strong. At the same time they served as a symbol of power. The gates were meant to elicit both fear and awe from the people.
(Katsuji Wakisaka, the textile designer)

霜月のテキスタイルデザインは「御門(ごもん)」。
城や屋敷など要人の住まいの門は、敵からの攻撃を防ぐためだけでなく、権威を 示すために重厚なものを作る必要があったそうです。 厚い城門が、頑丈な錠"閂(かんぬき)"で閉じられている様子をテキスタイルと 和菓子で表現しました。
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The concept for the textile design for December is "The Gate".
The castle gate needed to intimidating and heavy not just to protect it's owner from an enemy attack, but also to display authority. Thus we created the Heavy castle gate closed with strong lock in the textile design.

表面に砂糖をまぶし、バーナーで焼いて焦げ目をつけた栗羊羹は、年月を経て朽 ちてきた閂(かんぬき)に見立てています。閂(かんぬき)を通す鉄の金具は、黒ゴマと竹炭を混ぜ込んだ練り切りで作りま した。
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We coated the surface of Chestnut Yokan with sugar and then burned it with a confectioner's torch to achieve the appearance of a old, rusted gate lock. The iron lock portion is made of of Nerikiri(sweet bean paste) mix of white beans, black sesame, and charcoal bamboo powder .

京菓子老舗長久堂とのコラボレート。1年の移ろいをポップなテキスタイルデザインで表現し、和菓子に落とし込みました。
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We collaborated with famous Kyoto patisserie Choukyudou.
Our pop vibrant textile design reflect changes in the seasons and these are also expressed in our wagashi.

平成21年『PHPスペシャル』に毎月連載していた、『SOU・SOUだより』。
移ろい行く四季の和花を和菓子で表現しました。
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SOU・SOU's textile designer Katsuji Wakisaka has been publishing new textile design on monthly magazine, "PHP Special". The seasonal changes are expressed in our wagashi.

京菓子老舗『亀屋良長』さんとのコラボレート。
日本の歳時記を表現したテキスタイルに合わせて和菓子を製作しました。
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We collaborated with The noted Kyoto patisserie Kameya Yoshinaga.
Together we created wagashi that emphasize Japanese seasonal changes as well as our graphic textile prints.

華道家元池坊直営・日本華道社出版『四季の花手帖』で発表した12ヶ月の花を和菓子にしました。お菓子の製作は、京菓子の老舗『亀屋良長』さん。
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SOU・SOU designed a new flower design corresponding to each month of the year in "Flower Notes For the Four Seasons', the booklet published by Nihon Kadou Sha, operated by Ikenobo*.

Ikenobo*
Ikenobo is the original school that produced ikebana (traditional Japanese Buddhist floral design) as a unique artform in Japan
over five centuries ago and continue to spread awareness and knowledge of the ikebana tradition worldwide.