Once it reached a length of 140cm, the Igusa will then be harvested. Only the central part of the grass, whose length varies from 90cm to 110 cm, will be used for producing tatami.
The root of the Igusa is white in color with its tip usually colored in brown.
The central part of the grass boasts a deep green color while its flesh forms a fiber-like structure.
Decisive factors of the Igusa’s quality
- The state of the fiber structure
- The uniformity of the green color on each leaf
There are types of Igusa whose green parts become black. These types of Igusa, when produced into the tatami, usually turns into the black color when receiving the sunlight directly, creating a variegated pattern in color.
High-quality Igusa is usually
- Long
- Possess a uniform color
- Has a solid body
High-quality Igusa will help to hide the white color of the roots even when the grasses are used to produce tatami mats with a maximum size.
The cheap Igusa are usually
- Short
- Has black spots on its body
- Has many white spots on their roots and only a few numbers of green parts
- The tips of the roots are usually brown in color
- The grass’s body is usually thin
The color of the roots and their tips usually stand out on tatami mats which used short Igusa as their materials.
The tatami mats produced with these grasses tend to become variegated when receiving direct sunlight instead of the beautiful golden color.
These factors contribute to the grass’s drops in price.
When they are first installed, the tatami mats usually have a fresh verdant color which is beautiful regardless of the grade of the grasses which were used in the mats’ production.
Intended end-usage for High-quality Igusa
- Floors at Shrines and Buddhist Temples
- Floors at Luxury Residences
- Floors at Order-made Residences
Intended end-usage for Normal-quality Igusa
- Floors at General Residences
- Floors at Condominium Apartments
Intended end-usage for short Igusa
- Floors at Rental Homes
- Igusa Cushions
- Miscellaneous Goods made from Igusa
Short Igusa is usually used in tatami mats at rental homes whose replacement cycle is relatively fast.
After about three months, the tatami mats will start changing their color, revealing a huge difference in appearance compared to the differences in price.
Tatami mats made using short Igusa do not have high endurance and are not suitable for general residences where the mats are usually used for 10 to 20 years.
At TOKYO TATAMI MAKER, only the Igusa with the highest quality whose length is over 130cm is used for producing tatami mats.
IGUSA
High-grade natural igusa tatami and all materials are produced domestically in Japan.
ZEN
Enjoy the texture of natural washi (Japanese paper), a Japanese made product used as the surface material in this series.
TOKYO SERIES
The application of high-grade igusa texture and breakthrough functionality
Classic Series
Traditional Cloth Edging Design
TOKYO TATAMI MAKER ships Japanese made tatami to U.S.A., Singapore, and other countries all over the world.
This exporting business is operated by TATAMISER Co., Ltd. with support from the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, which is an Independent Administrative Institution under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
[ Cases of tatami mat use by our customers ]
Classic Series