Hello again! It is the blog How Unique Japan! How are you guys?
Today, I would like to ask you first. Have you seen the traditional Japanese house? If you did, there is no doubt that you saw the floor in a living room covered with a green and weedy seat.
So, this time, I will touch on the unique Tatami seat.
The seat is made from rush (plant) and straw.
It has an ancient history. However, it is still popular and loved by many Japanese. Interestingly, the current measurement for the size of the room is still how many Tatami seats would be within the room.
The calculation is that.
Ichi jou (one tatami seat) is 182cm (71.65 inches) x 91cm (35.82 inches).
So, the room size in Japan is usually with this measurement – for example, Roku jou (six tatami seats) means six times with that.
How has the seat been a good friend with us Japanese for so long?
The history
The origin is surprisingly old. A historical theory says it was born in the Jomon era (from 13000 BC to 300 BC!). The ancient Japanese lived in a simple house like a tent, then started to put a bunch of straw on the floor. That was the beginning.
After centuries, the straws became organized as a thick seat with rushes fastened by sewing on the surface. It was around the Nara and Heian era (Nara is from 645 AC to 794. And Heian is from 794 to 1185).
Why did the old Japanese prove the straws to the Tatami seat? The invention was for the people with high society or nobility. They thought uncovered floors (rough wooden boards) in gorgeous buildings were cold physically and mentally. Thus, they created the Tatame seat to cover the floors.
The merit of the Tatami seat
So, it was an invention from high society/nobility as a luxury option. However, it has many advantages over wooden floors. The features include elasticity, thermal insulation properties/heat retentions, and flame retardance. It is not yet. It can also clean the air.
The secret of those various features is that. The Tatami seat is made from the rush and straw.
Both plants have a unique structure. There are many tiny holes inside each fiber close to a sponge. Thus, the Tatami seat can work as a shock absorber for any accident, for example, falling/slipping down. (elasticity)
Besides, the structure, like a sponge, also absorbs the wetness in the room when a living room has a high humidity level. On the other hand, it relieves the absorbed water when the weather/room is dry. So, it is similar to breathing. (thermal insulation)
The advantages are not over yet. The seat works with inhale and exhale action. That means it can catch tiny dust floating in the air. (air cleaner)
It is incredible. But you might get the idea about one weakness of the Tatami seat. So, you could say, “Oh, it works well. But the fire would be the biggest enemy of it because it is from plants”.
Yap. You are light. However, the Tatami seat surprisingly has more fire resistance than a plant.
It is due to the inside of the seat. Do you remember that it needs two kinds of plants? It is rush and straw. So, the surface uses the rush sewed. On the other hand, there is a bunch of straw inside. The amount of straws is unbelievable. Before they get pressed into 5 cm (2 inches) for the base, the diameter of the straw is around 40 cm (15.7 inches). So tight!
Such a density can resist fire but surface. It is because the inside doesn’t have the space for CO2 to come in. So, it is the final feature of the Tatami. It is the flame retardance.
One more fun fact/item
So, we Japanese have utilized the seat. Then, how do we replace them when they get old and rubbed out?
It is where one tool comes in. We use a sharp and big needle like an ice-pick. It is named Eyeleteer/Senmai Doushi (with straight translation, it means stubbing through a thousand pieces).
So, we stub the gap between the edge of the Tatami seat covered with a long piece of cloth and the body. Then, we pull them out of the floor.
To close
It is a brief explanation of the seat. However, I can add one more feature. That is scent/smell. The Tatami seat has a weedy aroma that makes us relaxed.
If you visit the old living room in Japan, I recommend you take a deep breath. You might deserve to lie down on the seat like on a grassland on a sunny day (when those seats are new).
It is all for this article. Thank you so much for reading this! If you are still interested in some Japanese uniqueness, please click here for the front page of my blog.
OK! See you again for the next article!!