Tatami Mats are a staple of Japanese culture. Dating back to the 7th Century, Tatami Mats evolved from an absolute luxury available only to the nobility, to a widespread commodity present in the home of every Japanese family. In modern times, Tatami Mats have made way to more western style floorings, but their cultural significance will ensure their prolonged existence and their beneficial qualities will continue to popularize them far beyond Japan’s coasts.
Authentic Japanese Tatami Mat Construction
Haiku Designs sought to provide customers with the most authentic, high-quality mats available today. Our Tatami Mats are manufactured in Taiwan and firmly maintain the Eastern traditions formed over many, many centuries. In accordance with those traditions, our Tatami Mats feature an all-natural Rush grass exterior and a rice straw foundation. While other mats may contain wafer or particle board interiors, our mats contain a layered rice straw core. The process for such a core may be more laborious and expensive, but the result is a healthier more natural mat that provides the firmness and slight give traditional Tatami Mats are known for. Furthermore, the rush grass used to surround the rice straw core is rated “Best Grade #1” meaning it displays little to no visible variation in straw pattern resulting in a beautiful, smooth exterior. Finally, the Tatami Mat is finished with a durable cloth-edging, tightly woven, and tension stitched to ensure longevity.
The Benefits of Japanese Tatami Mats
Haiku's Tatami Mats offer a variety of benefits all surrounding your well-being. To start, our carefully and meticulously crafted mats are exceptionally eco-friendly. Because of their grass composition, Tatami Mats are classified as an agricultural product which means they must meet strict U.S. Department of Agriculture custom regulations designed to prevent the introduction of insects and molds into the country. While many manufactures use toxic, powder insecticides our Tatami Mats are cleansed and ensured free of insects or molds through the use infrared heat. The infrared heat process gently heats the mats and eliminates potentially hazardous components without dousing the mats with undesirable chemicals that may do more harm than good. Moreover, the rush grass components are thoroughly washed before the manufacturing process, further reducing the possibility of certain problems developing.
In addition to the health benefits related to the zero-chemical exposition, our Tatami Mats provide relief from physical strain. When used as floor mats Tatami Mats provide a less impactful surface for walking, kneeling, sitting, or meditating. When used for sleep, Tatami Mats offer a supportive surface with a slight give, helping posture without the hardness of a solid floor. With any and all methods of use, Tatami Mats help purify the air by absorbing nitrogen dioxide, help regulate moisture by absorbing moisture during periods of high humidity and releasing it back into the air during dry spells, and help control temperature by behaving as a natural insulator.
Their beneficial properties have resulted in a longevity that has proved resistant to advances in modern technology. We now have at our disposal an infinite selection of products for flooring or bedding equipped with fancy this and revolutionary that, but there is a reason for the continued use of something as natural as Tatami Mats, and that reason transcends their historical significance. Tatami Mats are a clean, eco-friendly, and beneficial alternative to the world’s more extravagant options. Experience the beauty of simplicity, the harmony and serenity of natural living with Haiku’s Tatami Mats.