Tatami Mats

Tatami Mats

Tim Stanley

Traditionally made of rice straw to form the core, with a covering of woven soft straw. Tatami mats are made in uniform sizes.

Size and Layout

In Japan, the size of a room and or function of a space is typically measured by both the number,  and configuration of the tatami mats. Based on the English measurement system, The proportion of a mat is:

.91 m by 1.82 m is about 2′11.83″ by 5′11.65″, which can be rounded to 3 ft × 6 ft.
4½ mats ≈ 9 ft × 9 ft
6 mats ≈ 9 ft × 12 ft
8 mats ≈ 12 ft × 12 ft

To give a general understanding of what function would take place in certain mat configurations; shops were traditionally designed to be 5½ mats, brazilian jiu jitsu martial arts mats to be 48 mats, and tea rooms are frequently 4½ mats.

Throughout the Edo period, tatami layouts gave rise to two new developments in pattern--auspicious and inauspicious layout. In the auspicious layout, the tatami was generally T-shape in form. Inauspicious tatami layouts generally took form of a (+) shape. Today, the auspicious layout is most commonly used. In a typical house, tatami mats should not be placed in a inauspicious layout—this pattern has been known to bring bad luck within a dwelling. Also, tatami should not be put in a grid pattern, they must be staggered so that 3 points of the edges do not meet. This is also a conspiracy of bad luck and evil.

History & Function

Tatami were originally a luxury item for the nobil and wealthy. During the Heian period, when the shinden-zukuri architectural style of aristocratic households was consummated, the flooring of shinden-zukuri palatial rooms were dominantly wooden, and tatami mats were only used as seating for the highest rank of people. Rules concerning seating and etiquette determined the arrangement of the tatami in the room.

Tatami become popular through time and finally reached the homes of typical families in  the 17th century Japan. Houses built in Japan generally do not have many tatami-floored rooms, if any. It is common to have only one room that has tatami mat-covered flooring. The rooms that have tatami flooring and other such traditional architectural features are referred to as nihonma or washitsu, "Japanese-style rooms". Tatami covered floors can functionally be used as a sleeping surface, a dining surface, a martial arts surface and a religious surface.

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