Why Choose a Japanese Lifestyle?

Why Choose a Japanese Lifestyle?

The chaos of our modern, western society beckons the themes of harmony and peace that are prevalent in the east. Ancient ideals of tranquility and calm, the ability to live in harmony with our surrounding environment- we naturally crave them, especially after a couple of hours of being stuck in traffic. I should know...I lived in LA for eight years and had to submit myself to the daily torture that was the 405 freeway. We at Haiku Designs believe bringing some of those Japanese Zen philosophies into the home can help us create an environment of peace and relaxation: a home full of calming energy to help you recharge your batteries and lead a healthier life. Allow us to focus for a second on the heart of our tranquility paradise: the bedroom.  

Japanese Tatami Mats for Sleeping

Picture this: night after night you retreat to the same sleeping surface. Maybe you showered maybe you didn’t (let’s be honest). Maybe it’s summer. Maybe you’re just an extra warm sleeper. Whatever the case, your mattress absorbs quite a bit on a regular basis and, of course, washing your sheets regularly and opting for a mattress protector (check out our washable wool mattress protectors) helps but some sweat, dirt, moisture, and whatever else is bound to make it through your many shields. 

Japanese Tatami Grass Mats
Japanese Tatami Grass Floor Mats

That is why it is important for your mattress to breathe! Proper airflow needs to circulate through your mattress to reduce moisture buildup, dust mites, and allergens. Platform beds have modern slat systems that offer superb support for your mattress without the need for a box spring because box springs are suffocating your mattress and accelerating the buildup of those undesirable substances. Have you ever laid face down, nose buried in your pillow or mattress? Could you breathe easily? Yeah, neither can your mattress. 

While platform beds and standard mattresses are certainly a viable option, cleaner still are our all-natural Tatami Mats, which are meant to rest directly on the wooden slats of a platform bed. Expertly crafted in accordance with the time-tested and perfected Eastern traditions, Haiku’s 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. Tatami Mats are often used on the floors of Japanese homes as well as on platforms for both sleeping and sitting.  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. 

Tatami Mats on Tatami Platform Frame
Tatami Mats on Tatami Platform Bed Frame

 

Tatami Mats provide the ideal sleeping surface- firm with a slight give to promote proper spine alignment and good posture. They offer the benefits of sleeping on the floor without the discomfort of such a hard surface. Tatami Mats also pair well with Shiki Futons, ideal for us Westerners that are unwilling to let go of our plush, cloud-like mattresses (maybe that’s just me). A Shiki and Tatami Mat combination provides a beautifully comfortable, authentic experience for those that wish to dive into the Zen Modern lifestyle, those truly committed to internalizing ideas of harmony and tranquility.

Japanese Tatami Platform Beds like the Raku and Tomaru

If a Zen existence is your goal, then I would encourage you to finish off the bedroom décor with a Raku Japanese Platform Bed. Our Raku Bed is the natural partner for the Tatami Mats, providing a minimalist bed frame crafted in solid wood and a slatted base in the perfect dimensions for exactly fitting a Tatami Mat. For those seeking a more modern take on traditional Japanese practices, our Tomaru Japanese Platform Bed gracefully walks the line between the contemporary and classic. A chic and stylish modern platform bed with the essence of Japanese inspired furniture, the Tomaru bed is the contemporary alternative to the Raku Japanese Platform Bed.  

Raku Tatami Platform bed
Raku Tatami Platform Bed

Tomaru Japanese Platform Bed
Tomaru Japanese Platform Bed


Sleek and minimalist, Japanese inspired home décor is meant to offer little resistance or obstruction to the natural flow of healthy energy within the home. Clutter bleeds disorder and chaos and can be detrimental to the harmonious state of your home. Our Japanese inspired Platform Beds and Tatami Mats are meant to encourage cleaner living, a home with fewer distractions, fewer toxins. The Japanese hold the secret to long healthy lives. Diet certainly plays a part but residing in a space that is free of contamination and disorder will help reduce physical and emotional stressors, improving your overall wellbeing. Japan currently has more than 2 million residents over 90 years old, so...excuse me while I swap out my current bed frame for a Tatami Mat.

Choose a Japanese Lifestyle by Sleeping on Tatami Platform Beds and Mats

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