What are the characteristics of Japanese tatami?

Tatami has a history of 1300 years and is the most suitable daily necessities for Japanese climate. Tatami is a bit like a summer sleeping mat shop in China. The difference is that tatami is paved with pieces of straw mats, each of which is decorated with lace and stands all year round. Because it is made of fresh hay, it is firm, breathable and elastic, and it feels comfortable to step on it barefoot. That delicious smell filled the room for years. Tatami rooms can really have many uses. Because of the softness of tatami, it doesn't matter if children or old people fall on it. Sleeping on it for a short time can make people feel very comfortable. A short-legged table can also be used as a living room, and a quilt can also be used as a dormitory.

Tatami is not only woven from straw, but also traditionally tied with straw (in recent years, foam plastic is also used). There is a uniform standard for the shape and size of tatami, which is bound with tapestry or black cloth. In the era when most Japanese lived in houses with land, tatami was a luxury enjoyed by wealthy families. When laying the floor, the number and arrangement of tatami have different ways. It is said that if the layout does not conform to Feng Shui, it may bring disaster. Tatami must not be placed in a grid, and no matter how it is placed, the corners of three or four tatami pieces must not be put together.

In Japan, the area of a typical room is calculated by the number of tatami blocks. Traditional shops and halls are designed as "five and a half rooms" (8.9 1 square meter), and tea rooms are often four and a half rooms (7.29 square meters). Because of the taboo mentioned above, there are usually at least four and a half rooms, otherwise the four corners will get together.

The traditional size tatami is 90cm wide,180cm long and 5cm thick, with an area of1.62m2.. There are also half tatami measuring 90 cm by 90 cm. Because the size of tatami is fixed, in traditional Japanese architecture, the room size is an integer multiple of 90 cm. It is worth mentioning that the tatami in Kyoto and Kansai is slightly larger than that in Tokyo and kanto region. The size of tatami in Tokyo is 85cm× 180cm, and the area is1.53m2. ..

Tatami is closely related to Japanese Shinto religious ceremonies and tea ceremony. Modern Japanese families have at least one room with collapsed rice.