Story

Hello! We are tsunaguJapan Crafts and our goal is to promote traditional Japanese crafts to people outside of Japan. This time, we are working with a long-standing tatami company from a town called Oki in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan with the goal of spreading love for tatami to the rest of the world. To reserve your own one-of-a-kind tatami yoga mat and help support our goal, please keep reading!

 Why a Yoga Mat? 

-Tatami Complements the Fundamentals of Yoga.

Tatami is a firm yet comfortable mat that has been used as a flooring material in Japanese homes for centuries. Made from “igusa,” a plant native to Japan, tatami’s fresh scent and natural texture foster a connection with the natural world and help create a soothing environment. As it is meant to be walked on with bare feet, the firm yet forgiving surface of tatami is ideal for a practice like yoga, which involves creating solid yet comfortable contact with the ground while holding various poses. In addition, tatami is quite durable, and is also resistant to dirt and odors, making it ideal for repeated, everyday use.

-We Wanted to Start Small and Gage Interest.

Tatami is loved here in Japan, and we hope that people overseas will appreciate it just as much. To start, we decided to choose an item that is familiar to people around the world as an introduction to the charms of tatami.

-It Is Easy to Ship.

Many tatami products are quite large, such as full-room tatami rugs. The yoga mat, however, can be easily rolled up and shipped.

-It Is Versatile.

Although it is designed to be used while practicing yoga, the craftsmanship and finishing on these tatami yoga mats make them beautiful enough to be left out as a mat in the living room or a runner in the hallway. They are comfortable to sit or stand on, regardless of the activity you are doing.

Features of the Tatami Yoga Mat

 What Makes Tatami So Wonderful?
 

-It’s All Natural

Tatami is a mat made from “igusa” (rushes), that are harvested and dried before being carefully woven into a mat. The process of making tatami takes quite a bit of skill, and the tatami on the market varies greatly in quality. At the company where the tatami yoga mats are made, all of the igusa used is grown in the company’s own field right in front of their facility.This ensures a consistent quality that is unbeatable on the market.

-It Has a Unique Scent

One of the characteristics of tatami is its unique aroma. The earthy fragrance is strongest when the tatami is new, gradually becoming less noticeable as the tatami ages and your nose acclimates to the scent. The aroma of tatami comes from phytoncides (essential oils) that occur naturally in the rush. These essential oils can be found in a variety of plants and trees and are believed to be the cause of the relaxing and immunity-boosting effect of spending time in the forest, called forest bathing or “shinrinyoku” in Japanese.

-It Has Deodorizing Properties

One of the amazing properties of tatami is its ability to deodorize. Igusa is a naturally antibacterial material that can kill the bacteria that causes foot and body odor. A whole room full of tatami can even deodorize the air, helping get rid of unpleasant odors while maintaining a fresh, natural scent.

-It Is a Part of Japanese Culture and Tradition

Tatami is an integral part of a traditional Japanese living space. There’s something special about the feeling of walking barefoot across a tatami floor and smelling the unique fragrance that it gives off. It is a connection with the past that remains a source of comfort to people in the present. We believe that fine tatami is a tradition that should be carried on into the future.

 How Does a Tatami Yoga Mat Compare?
 

-Durability

The igusa that tatami is made from is a naturally durable material. It can be used for a long time without wearing excessively, making it a great choice for yoga mat material. Although these tatami yoga mats are a new idea, the company making them has more than a hundred years of experience weaving traditional tatami mats, and the traditional weaving techniques used have proven to be durable and long-lasting.

-Comfort

Tatami mats have been used as a flooring material in Japanese living spaces for hundreds of years. This is because the mats are solid underfoot while being comfortable enough to sit on for hours or to place a futon over top for sleeping. These premium tatami yoga mats are firm yet comfortable, ideal for maintaining solid footing while holding a yoga pose or lying down comfortably.

-Design

The tatami yoga mats come in a variety of simple designs that are stylish while respecting the tradition of tatami. With designs ranging from plain, uncolored tatami to carefully woven images of Mount Fuji, the tatami yoga mats feature natural colors that evoke a sense of harmony with nature. (See below for details of each design)

-Relaxation

As mentioned above, the rush used to make tatami contains natural essential oils that elicit a relaxing response in the body. Tatami is sometimes called a “forest inside a room,” as it provides some of the same benefits that spending time in the forest does. Combine this with the natural colors and design of the mats, and the relaxing elements of yoga are enhanced.

-Eco Friendly

Igusa is a renewable crop that grows in one year. While growing, the plants actively remove carbon from the air. The resulting product, in turn, is quite durable and able to last for many years of use. When compared to a conventional foam yoga mat, the overall carbon footprint is much lower.

 How the Tatami Yoga Mats are Made 

Just as with other traditional Japanese crafts, making tatami is a multi-step process that involves multiple “shokunin” (craftsmen) who specialize in just one aspect of the creation process. This ensures a level of quality that could not be matched by a single individual working alone. From the growers to the dye specialists to the weaving specialists, each tatami yoga mat is crafted by the combined expert work of several shokunin.

Although the actual weaving, sewing, and finishing of each mat takes about one hour, the entire process of making a tatami yoga mat can be said to take almost two years, including the growing of the igusa. Igusa takes about 10 months to grow, after which it must dry out for one full year. Next, as many of the tatami yoga mats involve colorful designs, the dried igusa is dyed in various colors in a process that takes about 3 days. At this point, the igusa is sorted by length and quality in a process that takes another day. Finally, the yoga mat itself is woven, sewn, attached to the non-slip bottom, and finished. The final product is a labor of love that is meant to be enjoyed for a long time. We hope you take as much joy in the tatami as we do.

Where Are the Tatami Yoga Mats Made?

The tatami yoga mats are made by a tatami business based out of Oki, Fukuoka Prefecture that was founded in 1886. The company started by making traditional tatami mats, which were widely loved, and has recently begun experimenting with new ways of bringing the joys of tatami into modern homes. In the past, almost every Japanese house had at least one tatami room, but as times have changed, Western-style houses have become more popular and the demand for tatami has decreased.

However, tatami is a part of Japanese culture that still holds importance to Japanese people, even if we can’t have a full tatami room in our living space. To this end, in recent years, the company has begun developing a range of tatami products to meet the needs of modern people who still want tatami in their daily lives. The tatami yoga mat is one such example that has become quite popular here, and the brand continues to expand with new designs. We are confident that tatami can find just as much popularity overseas and hope that these yoga mats will bring joy to the people who use them every day.

Outside of Japan, tatami is not very well known, but we believe that anyone will appreciate its unique scent and comforting touch. Our goal is to spread love of tatami around the world and thereby spread a piece of Japanese culture that holds such a dear place in the hearts of many Japanese people. If you choose to support our project, we thank you from the bottom of our heart.

 Yoga Mats Designs:
      The size of the product is 70.8in in length and 23.6in in width.

Plain

For those who want a simple, classic design, this is the tatami yoga mat for you. The undyed igusa is woven into a checkered pattern that provides excellent footing.

Fuji

This yoga mat features a beautiful scene of Mount Fuji in the distance and cherry blossoms falling into a lake.

Sky 

The remarkable way that this mat is weaved creates an almost photo-realistic scene of clouds floating in a blue sky above a grassy field.

Sakura

One of the iconic sights of springtime in Japan is the pink and white sakura (cherry blossom trees) that decorate parks, streets, and riverbanks throughout the country. This mat recreates a beautiful springtime scene in Japan.

Calm 

Evoking the green colors of nature, the grass-like pattern on this mat is simple and calming.

Joy

The gradation of this design represents the solid connection between plants and the soil. Ground yourself with the soothing pattern of this mat.

Edo 

The two-toned design of this mat features a patchwork of traditional Japanese “wagara” patterns that evoke an image of the Japan of old.

Rewards:

After pledging, let us know which design you would like via the messaging tool.