Tatami Mats

Tatami mats are a traditional Japanese flooring. Made of woven rush (goza) and packed with rice straw, tatami are made in individual mats of uniform size and shape, bordered by brocade or plain cloth.

Tatami were originally a luxury item for the wealthy at a time when lower classes had mat-covered dirt floors. Tatami were gradually popularized and finally reached the homes of commoners towards the end of the 17th Century

There are various rules concerning the number and layout of tatami mats; an inauspicious layout is said to bring bad fortune. In homes, the mats must not be laid in a grid pattern, and in any layout there is never a point where the corners of three or four mats intersect.

In Japan, the size of a room is typically measured by the number of tatami mats. The traditional dimensions of the mats were fixed at 90 cm by 180 cm (1.62 msq) by 5 cm. Half mats, 90 cm by 90 cm are also made. Tea rooms & tea houses are traditionally designed to be 4½ mats (7.29m²). Since the size is fixed, rooms in traditional Japanese construction measure in multiples of 90 cm.

As most western houses are not made with rooms that have 90cm increments, the most popular and stunning way to have tatami is to place the mats in a central position and surround them with floorboards to leave a flush finish.

We do not sell the cheap Taiwanese mats that are currently flooding the international market. Our mats are made using traditional materials and machinery to meet the strict Japanese and International standards. In Japan, all the materials used in the manufacturing process are cleaned and disinfected prior to manufacture. This is done so without the use of harmful residual chemicals. Our mats, as with all of our goods, are fumigated with Methyl Bromide to comply with AQIS regulations prior to importing all of our goods.

AS SEEN ON TV - Jamie Durie's THE OUTDOOR ROOM

To purchase any items please call 02 4871 1388  during business hours (Thu - Mon (10am - 5pm)) or email first to make sure it is available and then call back during business hours. Credit card payments can be made over the telephone, otherwise you may deposit into our bank account. Details available upon request.