A Japanese Tatami Mats 01

Remodeling House Ideas : A Japanese Tatami Mats 01


In the Japanese home tatami mats are used as a surface for sitting, sleeping, and walking on. Light enough to be carried by an adult, mats are composed of a thick rice straw core, a soft reed cover, and two borders of cloth or synthetic tape which protect the sides. Tatami are approximately 3 feet by 6 feet, about the size of a single bed, and l 3/4-2 1/2 inches thick.

Tatami evolved over a long period, first beginning as a thin, easily folded straw mat on which people sat or slept. Later, more layers of rice straw were added to the core for comfort. A new function of these fortified, but still portable, mats was to indicate differences in rank, the most exalted members being given the privilege of sitting on tatami while others sat on the wooden floor. Tatami eventually came to cover the entire floor and are now a standard item in Japanese-style rooms.


Layout

"A standing person takes up half a mat; a sleeping person, a full mat." As this saying suggests, a single tatami mat accommodates two standing people; thus if two mats are placed together, there is just enough room to seat four to six people around a small table. Since this is perfect for playing cards or for doing flower arrangements, an initial purchase of two mats is recommended. More mats can be added later, following the patterns suggested on the following blogpost.

When it comes to laying several tatami down together, one has to take into account the way in which they reflect light. Since the rushes used for the cover are not very long, they are wound laterally across the width of the mat in close parallel lines. The reflection of light varies according to the placement of the mats. Thus, some tatami will appear light, and others, dark, in the same room. The interesting patterns created add to the attractiveness of tatami.

Tatami are made of a tightly-packed core, a rush cover, and two cloth borders.

Detail of core.

Detail of cover