畳 – tatamu
Tatami is derived from the verb tatamu which means “to fold” or “to pile” which corresponds to the construction of the early tatami mats but also to the fact that they were originally foldable and piled up when not in use.
Firstly, mats were made with a compressed rice straw core (doko) which was wrapped in a braided mat of the same material. Contemporary mats use extruded polystyrene foam or compressed wood chips for the core. The wrapping is a weft-faced weave of soft Igusa grass on a warp of hemp or weaker cotton. The long edges of the mats are finished with a colourful ribbon (heri), with or without a motif.
When arranging multiple mats there are strict rules: never bring the corners of 3 or more mats into contact with each other – this can bring bad luck. No thank you.
Foldable Tatami
Tatami … not just for futons. Tatami can be used in a variety of ways!
You can put one, two or more mats together to make an area “rug” (just remember to not bring yourself bad luck when arranging them!). You can use it for practicing yoga, jiu-jitsu, aikido, judo or stretching. You can use it as a play area for children. They can be used as a nap pad alone. In summer, the mat can help to keep things cool by providing airflow. In winter, it can create a barrier to the cold rising from your floors. These mats can be laid out very quickly and be stowed underneath a sofa or next to a cabinet, for example. The mats can be stood up to air/dry. Everyone can easily handle the foldable tatami.
Futons from Japan offer good quality foldable tatami mats that they able to ship to your door using EMS Japan Post. Foldable mats are more versatile that the traditional non-foldable long mats. Futons from Japan offer two levels of firmness: Medium and Firm; and two sizes of the Firm option: 75x200cm or 90x200cm. The firmness and size choices give customers plenty of options to create an authentic Japanese sleeping area complete with other items such as futon sets, zabuton and makura. Foldable tatami can also be purchased on their own for the above mentioned purposes or other!
