Tatami

Tatami (Japanese畳, also traditionally叠,疉or疂) is a mat made of rice straw, which is used in Japan as a floor in Washitsu ( traditionally styled rooms ). At night, the futon is laid out on the tatami, to serve as a place to sleep.

Because of their sensitive surface texture Tatami be entered only with socks or barefoot.

Nature

Tatami are made of a tightly bound rice straw core on which a rush mat from Igusa grass is fixed by the side sewn cotton ribbons.

New tatami have a greenish surface. When they get older, go through the colors in yellow -brown shades. This aging process is, as far as the mats have otherwise not too worn to be considered positively in Japan, because it bears witness to the life and history of the tatami. Nowadays, various muted colors and fine weave pattern can be produced on the surface of the craftsman.

A tatami is 5.5 cm thick, a Ken (间) long and half Ken wide, the length of a Ken varies by region from 1.55 to 1.91 m. Nowadays, you will receive Tatami in almost all sizes.

Common sizes are:

• 85.0 cm × 170 cm ( Tatami standard size for large residential and office buildings)
• 88.0 cm × 176 cm ( in Tokyo and eastern Japan )
• 91.0 cm × 182 cm ( in northern Japan )
• 95.5 cm × 191 cm ( in Kyoto and Western Japan)

Square measure

Tatami also serve as a square measure for specifying flat and room sizes ( the sign of Tatami is pronounced sino- japanese jo in this sense ). A jo corresponds to about 1.64 m, the exact size here depends on the region.

The Japanese standard room is six jo large (about 10 m²) and therefore traditionally occupied by six tatami mats, tea rooms are 4.5 jo big.

Tatami martial arts

Many Japanese martial arts (such as Jiu Jitsu, Judo, etc.) are exerted on tatami mats. Mixed Martial Arts Fighter (Japanese Budoka ) use the relatively " soft" tatami to cushion falling techniques ( ukemi jap ) and throws ( Nage Waza Japanese ).

Furthermore, " TATAMI whispers ON AIR " is the title for the audio podcast service of the German Judo Federation ( DJB ) ..