畳 – Tatami (Traditional Flooring)

28th February ー　如月

Have you ever visited place where has Japanese flooring called 畳 (Tatami)? Tatami makes the house into Japanese style and having Tatami has many benefit in your house.

It is made with a glass called イグサ (Igusa)= rushes, kitting them beautifully. Tatami has the main part with rushes 畳表(Tatami omote), board inside 畳床(Tatami toko) and edges covered with colored cloths 畳縁(Tatami heri).

In the Summer time, mowing rushes and dyeing with mud then dry to make the main parts of Tatami = 茣蓙 (Goza).

Tatami can last around 5~8years, and if the backside of Tatami is also covered with rushes, it can be used for another 2-5 years by flipping it. The standard time to change all part of Tatami is 15 ~ 20 years after using it. therefore, Tatami is not used forever, has to be changed regularly!

Tatami has many benefit in the house. It can shut the heat out, so the room with tatami can be cooler than normal wooden floor. Furthermore, thanks to rushes, it can absorb carbon dioxide and dusts, then change them into harmless carbon monoxide and release it into the air.

Tatami can keep warmth too. Not only in can clean the air but also it is considered that 1Tatami can absorb 500cc water. Therefore, it can take the humidity when it has too much moisture in the air, and then when the air is dry, it releases the moist to the water.

Moreover, as Tatami has elasticity, it can reduce the noises – sound insulation.

Do not step on the Tatami edge!

From the old time, it is considered as rude stepping on the edge of Tatami. This is because many nobility houses used to have their family crest on the Tatami’s edge cloths pattern. Furthermore, some families use luxury cloths included gold, silver strings for Tatami edge. Therefore, stepping on it means to trampling authority.

Nowadays, there are barely houses using its crest for Tatami, but stepping on Tatami edge can create friction and fade the color. Moreover, Tatami edge creates slight step and sometimes it is dangerous enough to make people fall. That is why it is still considered not good to step on the Tatami edge. So if you have the chance to go into the Ttami room, be careful try not to step on it!

If you have looked for house in Japan, you might realize that Japanese house advertisement explains the size of the room with number of Tatami, even the house does not have Tatami!

Also the Tatami side is actually different depending on the area:

京間 (Kyouma): Used in Western Japan, 191cm : 95.5cm

中京間 (Chuukyouma): Used in Tokai area, 182cm : 91cm

江戸間 (Edoma): Used in Eastern Japan, 176cm : 88cm

団地間 (Danchima): Used in general apartment room, 170cm : 85cm

Therefore, it is recommended to check the actual size of the room or, what area Tatami size the real estates use.