"Bustle in December"
When December comes a feeling of business is stirred for no apparent reason, but after all the year is coming to an end. Various feelings take over people and they busy themselves all over, even the town reflects their buzzing rhythm and this will continue till New Year's Eve.
(Katsuji Wakisaka, the textile designer)

師走のテキスタイルデザインは「師走にぎわい」。 年の瀬に向けて、街の様子も人々の気持ちも、なんとなく落ち着かない賑やかな 雰囲気になります。 今年最後の和菓子は、一年の締めくくりとして干支である「巳(へび)」の鱗紋 をモチーフにしたものにしました。
---------------
The concept for the textile design for December is "Bustle in December".
The city and peoples' moods get busy and hectic as it comes close to the end of the year. The last wagashi for this year, we used the Snake's skin as a motif since this is the year of the snake.

赤・黄・黒の三角は、それぞれ梅・ゆず・黒糖の羊羹です。まわりに求肥を巻い て、もっちりとした食感を足しました。
---------------
The red, yellow, and black triangle is made of plum, yuzu, and black sugar yokan. We wrapped it with gyuhi to make a sticky texture.

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。
------
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。
------
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。
------
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。
------
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.