FUKUSHIMA

TATAMI Village

Connecting a centuries-old traditional craft with present-day fans

With its 280-year-old history of making tatami mats, Kuboki Tatami is helping this traditional craft win new fans at its innovative facility in Fukushima.

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Preserving Tatami as a Functional Piece of Japanese Tradition

Tatami is an iconic part of Japanese culture. These soft mats woven from grass line the floors of traditional spaces from restaurants to palaces, their familiar scent both soothing and warm. Yet in the modern world, the demand for tatami mats is shrinking, with fewer and fewer Japanese homes using them as a flooring material. Kuboki Tatami, a Fukushima-based company that has been producing tatami for 280 years, is preserving tatami as an interior design material with innovative uses.

Tatami Village is Kuboki’s flagship facility, containing the company’s factory, showroom, workshop and café, to show how tatami can be integrated into modern interior design. The beautifully designed café utilizes tatami as both countertop and seating material, created in asymmetrical designs that go against the traditional rectangular shapes. The shop sells interior design items such as coasters, placemats and smartphone stands using tatami with colorful borders, and also offers workshops for visitors to make their own. Through a large viewing window, you can watch the tatami artisans at work as they operate the tatami-making machines by hand.

Keeping a Sustainable Product Alive and Well

In addition to being an important part of Japanese traditional heritage, tatami is a material that has great promise for the future. Tatami is an all-natural product made from sustainable grasses that wears well and is easily replaced. It improves the airflow and air quality of rooms, absorbing moisture in the humid months and releasing it in the dry months. As the world grows increasingly concerned about plastic and chemical waste, tatami represents a natural and sustainable alternative that has been tested by time. One of the goals of Tatami Village is to help educate consumers about the benefits of tatami and its potential contribution to a sustainable environment.

Access to Tatami Village

Tatami Village is located in Sukagawa, Fukushima prefecture. From JR EAST Sukagawa Station, take a 4-minute taxi ride or walk about 15 minutes to the shop.

Photo Credit:©KUBOKI TATAMI

Address

55 Nakanomachi, Sukagawa City, Fukushima 962-0852

Contact

Tel: +81 248-72-8989
Web Form: https://tatami-jp.com/contact/

Business hours

11:00 - 17:00

WEB site

https://tatami-jp.com/shop/