Tatami Coaster Making Workshop and former castle town tour
Expert: Tatami Tatsuzou in collaboration with Megumi Kawada
Why Tatami?
Tatami is a staple of Japanese house design. You’d be hard-pressed to find a major temple or historic building that doesn’t utilize this plant-based flooring. Tatami are a sustainable way to reuse harvested stalks, and also help with temperature control in homes that don’t rely on electricity or fossil fuels for heating or cooling. They are gaining traction in western design as well and Japan in your opportunity to learn about this incredible design feature, how to maintain it, and why its so important to Japanese culture. It might just be in your house in the future.
Why tatami in Kyoto by the Sea?
The highest quality source materials for tatami come from the Kumamoto area of Japan, and Kyoto by the Sea is a weaving area that sources their materials from this exact area. The weaving heritage in this area extends to natural materials used in tatami as well, and historically, the region had a huge demand for it as well. The tatami workshop participants will visit is located in the heart of a former castle town, where there are still numerous temples, Japanese inns, and historic houses that rely on tatami. This is an opportunity not only to visit a tatami workshop and see how they ply their craft, but to visit some of the buildings that are central to the livelihood of the tatami industry. As a bonus, you’ll also get to make your own coaster out of tatami, a little Japanese floor for your future drinks.
The tour can include some optional visits, like a historic Japanese ryokan called Seikiro with a stunning tatami room and small museum inside, or a former merchant’s house that has winding halls, antique displays, priceless art, and even an inner courtyard with a turtle pond.
About our tatami maker and local guide
Tatamiya Tatsuzou is a family business with four generations working together! The elder statesman of the family is in his nineties and still working in the workshop. His son, who has honed his skills across generations works together with the grandson to run the main operations, and the two great granddaughters, who are still in grade school, come after school to help around the shop. It’s an amazing story, and they are an amazing family you must meet. The town tour and workshop visit is facilitated by our English speaking guide, Megumi Kawada, who not only runs her own sustainable soap making business, but works closely with the artisans in this former castle town. She is from this area, and knows the streets visitors will be walking, in and out. She is full of interesting stories that are only possible because of how well she knows the area.
Where is this experience?
Looking to book this experience? Need more information? Let us know!