THE MEANINGS WOVEN IN
松竹梅
shōchikubai
A wish for a life that stays strong and bright through the cold.
Pine, Bamboo, Plum
A long life →01
Where it comes from
Pine, bamboo, and plum are drawn together as one. In winter the pine stays green, the bamboo grows straight and keeps its fresh green, and the plum opens while the cold is still sharp. In China the three were called the three friends of the cold season, and in Japan the set came to stand for celebration itself. Where the three appear together, they carry a single wish: to weather hard times, and to greet what comes after.
02
On the cloth
On obi, the three may grow side by side as a small landscape, or be gathered into one roundel. Here they open in orange and gold on black; on another black cloth, red plum leads, with pine and bamboo in vermilion, gold, and silver white.
03
To give
Shōchikubai is a gift for New Year, weddings, and openings, days that deserve a celebration. It suits someone who has come through a long winter and is starting again.
A word to keep
歳寒三友
saikan san'yū
The three friends of the cold season. An old name for pine, bamboo, and plum together.
From our cloth
Two questions
What does the Pine, Bamboo, Plum (松竹梅) pattern mean?
A wish for a life that stays strong and bright through the cold. Shōchikubai is a gift for New Year, weddings, and openings, days that deserve a celebration.
Where does the 松竹梅 pattern come from?
Pine, bamboo, and plum are drawn together as one. In winter the pine stays green, the bamboo grows straight and keeps its fresh green, and the plum opens while the cold is still sharp.
