Aggressive efforts to restore tatami under way

By Shogo Takagi

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chibaman at 11:37 PM JST - 30th September

Tatami is all well and good, just don't bash it to let the people in the floor below know they're making too much noise, cos you'll wreck the mats, and then regret you ever came to Japan.
chibaman at 11:58 PM JST - 30th September

Hey wait a second? Aggressive efforts to restore tatami? Maybe if they just settled down and stopped being so heavy-handed about it they wouldn't have gotten themselves into this mess in the first place.

the ongoing back-to-Japanese style boom

Good luck with that. "Japan's steady Westernization" shows what most people really want - a rejection of inferior cultural practices, interests, food...it goes on and on. Down with Japan. Booh.
Sarge at 11:58 PM JST - 30th September

The Japanese do some things right. One is futons, another is tatami mats. I'm very glad I have a tatami room for putting my futon on.
BlackFlag at 12:39 AM JST - 1st October

Sarge is right
knews at 12:54 AM JST - 1st October

I've found the most rewarding sleeps I've ever had have been those at a nice ryokan, curled up on a futon on tatami after a steamy hot bath.
Ah_so at 01:11 AM JST - 1st October

It's lovely to slump down and roll over on the tatami after a hard day at work. A wooden floor just does not do it.

A lot of people cheat by putting the rolled tatami covers from the homestore on top of the orignial mats. Smell and look like new and just as soft.

1) Tatami air conditions the room - sucking up lots of moisture in summer, and releasing it all in winter. Scientifically speaking that's rubbish.

Stavking, are you sure? I would have thought that they would do that (regulated moisture, rather than actual air conditioning). An internet search seems to concur, although they may just be parroting the Japanese belief. If anything, the concern is that in the humid months, tatami absorbs too much moisture and gets mildewy.
KitsuneYoukai at 04:27 AM JST - 1st October

Tatami's are on their way out and shoudl be. I agree that they are unhygenic and you woudl ahve to replace them more more often. I woudl rather have a rock tiled floor or hardwood floor with a nice comfy rug.
zaichik at 07:31 AM JST - 1st October

Wish we could get proper tatami in NZ - tea ceremony on an ordinary floor is not terribly comfortable....

When I was looking for an apartment when I split up with my ex 6 years ago, I deliberately aimed for something with 2 tatami rooms, as they allow greater flexibility with regard to space and you don't have to buy much in the way of furniture.

But I do agree that they have rather a short life so something more durable that gives greater value for money would be preferable....
natosucks at 11:00 AM JST - 1st October

Tatami is the sweet home of the bugs and germs....as the futons...
Sarge at 02:41 PM JST - 1st October

"Tatami is the sweet home of the bugs and germs"

We need those bugs and germs!
Osakadaz at 03:01 PM JST - 1st October

Itami Tatami.Double whammy. I love tatami.Their smell and feel are great in summer.
Starviking at 05:22 PM JST - 1st October

Hi Ah so

Stavking, are you sure? I would have thought that they would do that (regulated moisture, rather than actual air conditioning). An internet search seems to concur, although they may just be parroting the Japanese belief. If anything, the concern is that in the humid months, tatami absorbs too much moisture and gets mildewy.

You've got to look at the basics.

Point 1 is that a Tatami floor only takes up about 2% of the volume of a room. It's unlikely that it can take care of the 98% of humid air in a room. Even if it can - it doesn't have any suction - so if it can somehow handle all that humid air it's going to take a long time to do so.

Point 2 is that houses aren't airtight. The humid air from outside is going to get in very easily - so in effect the Tatami would have to take care of...well, an enormous amount of humid air.

Taking these 2 point together puts the nail in the traditional wisdom about Tatami.

An even simpler way to look at it is this - paper absorbs moisture in humid weather, and releases it in dry weather - but no one touts that as one of its advantages. Why? Because it's not feasible to use paper as a moisture regulator. The same holds for Tatami.
sallysky at 06:08 PM JST - 1st October

I really like thetexuture of tatami. It's indespensable for japanese people to have sometatami mats,I guess. I got a new house two years ago here. I think that our house is modernized a little bit than others, but I couldn't forget tatami for our Japanese style room. I can't imagine that I live here without having tatami mats ...anyway. Once you use it, you will get to know how wonderful it is ....
browny1 at 10:35 PM JST - 1st October

Until recently had 5 tatami rooms in my 7dk. Renovated the kitchen and living (tatami) and made them one room with a hardwood floor. Best decision. Still have 4 tat rooms but have furniture (tables, chairs, pc etc) in 3 of them. The 1 remaining tat floor we use for naps and exercises and it's great. My main objection to tatami in it's traditional role, is it dictates that one should spend one's life on the floor. Floors can be damn uncomfortable and impractical places to engage in daily life. And often are drafty and dusty. Some people have actually been a little shocked when visiting and seeing we're not using the rooms as they were once intended. And a bookcase and tv in the Tokonoma(meant for tea ceremony display) and a closet in the Butsuma(meant for buddhist altar)

I just tell them "This is progress to suit one's needs"
jonnyboy at 05:40 PM JST - 2nd October

tatami pro; definitely like the "nest-like" atmosphere of a tatami/futon bedroom

tatami con; oft used excuse for landlords to extort tenants out of their security deposits. "wear and tear", anyone?