Experience the feel and smell of traditional Japan with Tatami. This straw flooring made of rash grass or igusa can be found in Japanese houses, shrines, temples, tea ceremony rooms and more throughout Japan. Now you can learn about the history and make your own small tatami mat to take home.
Akashi city, just west of Kobe, has started a handful of authentic Japanese experiences you can participate in, including tatami making.
I was lucky enough to be invited to the tatami experience and recommend this activity for anyone who wants to create a special memory and souvenir of their time in Japan.
A walk down Uontana
I was greeted at Akashi Station by my 3 guides (as this was a trial run I was lucky enough to have the main organiser Ms. Kubo, English guide Mr. Sakurae and English/Chinese guide Ms. Yoshihara all accompany me). We made our way south of the station to Uontana Fish Market.
Mr. Sakurae was happy to explain a brief history of the area and answer any questions I had.
Uontana street is fairly short but has a quirky charm and was busy with people buying various kinds of seafood or waiting to enter a sushi or akashiyaki restaurant.
A unique experience
Tatami expert Mr. Kitagawa was waiting for use when we arrived at the workspace. Various locations around Akashi will be used depending on the number of participants. The materials were laid out and the presentation was ready.
The presentation ran 20 minutes and covered the history of tatami. Over 1000 years ago only feudal lords and high society used tatami. It then spread to the general population, reaching the peak of production during Japan’s bubble period but the use has since sharply declined.
Following that I was taught about the materials we would be using and got into the creating section of the experience.
The process was fairly straight forward; wrapping the rash grass around the main board and applying the edges. However, the execution was a little more tricky. Trying to get everything to wrap firmly and the edges straight involved lots of pinning and stapling.
Overall it was a rewarding experience. There is a sense of pride in completing your own mat to take home. The mat is light weight and can fit into a suitcase and can be used as you like, such as a decorative stand or individual bench seat.
The total tour and experience takes about 2 hours. The guides will lead you back to Akashi station or Uontana and show you to a restaurant if you are wanting to try some of the delicious fresh seafood Akashi has to offer.
For more information and to make a booking head over to the Visit Akashi website.