"Sometsuke"
traditional Japanese pottery style featuring blue pigment painted on white ceramic

The pattern has been drawn with a pigment known as Gosu on unglazed pottery. The pottery is then baked after glazing. The tasteful pattern is painted in blue pigment in gradation, upon the white shiny ceramic. Sometsuke is a representative Japanese pottery style.

(Katsuji Wakisaka, the textile designer)

如月のテキスタイルデザインは「染付け」。
陶磁器に描かれた濃淡のある青い模様をモチーフにしています。ポストカードの模様が、お菓子の白い器に映りこんで染付けされるイメージでつくりました。
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The textile design for February is "Blue and White Ceramic"
The motif is light and dark blue shade pattern drawn on the ceramics;
We created the pattern shown on this postcard to best complement the white ceramic upon which our sweets are served.

白い器は、つくねいもと白餡と求肥を混ぜた練り切りで出来ています。器に模様を映りこませる為に、表面に寒天をかけてあります。中に入っている梅餡には、梅のピューレと蜜漬けにした果肉を刻んだものが混ぜ込まれていて、隠し味に梅酒が使われています。
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White ceramic part is made of gyuhi,(sweet bean paste) mix of tsukune yam, and white beans.
We use agar so the pattern will be reflected on ceramic part.
The Plum flavored anko (sweet black bean paste) include pureed plum and chopped plum flesh soaked in honey.We also use small amount of umeshu (plum sake) to give it a subtle flavor.

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.