Tatami
Rice-mat flooring is in every home, at least in one room. Even in the most modern ones abundant with electrical gadgets, color TVs and air conditioning. These mats are called "tatami."
Tatami mats are about 6 x 4 feet and a room's measurements are given not in feet, but in mats. "It's a 6-mat room," they'll say. These mats are solid and very heavy. Originally they are about 10 inches thick and then compressed down to about 2 1/2 inches. Once done by hand, rollers now do the job. Fitting into a room like a jigsaw puzzle, tatami mats can be removed whenever necessary, but usually this is done only about once a year. In a bedroom, they yellow-brown straw-colored tatami stays quite clean, but in a dining area, they are apt to get more soiled.
There are certain taboos observed strictly for tatami rooms. There' never a 4-mat room since 4 is the symbol of death. And there' never a 7-mat room. In the olden days, 7-mat rooms were used for hara-kiri (suicide).
An Oriental never wears shoes in the home, but no one walks on a tatami floor even with slippers on. These are left neatly at the entrance to this room. Cushions are used to sit on as there is little or no furniture on tatami. Stepping stocking-footed onto a new tatami floor is a good feeling. It' a clean feeling. And an aroma of fresh harvested grain is in the air.
It's very special to watch an expert after he' taken off the old, dirty, worn, stained covering and with deft, professional movements put on a brand new covering. He sprays a fine spray of water over this new material skillfully woven from rice stalks and then pulls it taught, fastening it securely. (plastic spray bottles now replace the old-time method of a big mouthful of water sprayed through the maker's teen!) Then with his big 6-8 inch needle he lines the edge of each mat, using a dark binding material. A beautiful product emerges from his professional touch.
And there's something very special about meeting a person whose life, though once like the old mats, has been changed, become new. Marvel is a person like that. From the life of a hopeless, helpless, dark alcoholic, she was rescued and "recovered" by Jesus Christ. Now for 5 years she's been teaching the Bible and English to Japanese. It's a brand new life that counts.
Tatami mats are about 6 x 4 feet and a room's measurements are given not in feet, but in mats. "It's a 6-mat room," they'll say. These mats are solid and very heavy. Originally they are about 10 inches thick and then compressed down to about 2 1/2 inches. Once done by hand, rollers now do the job. Fitting into a room like a jigsaw puzzle, tatami mats can be removed whenever necessary, but usually this is done only about once a year. In a bedroom, they yellow-brown straw-colored tatami stays quite clean, but in a dining area, they are apt to get more soiled.
There are certain taboos observed strictly for tatami rooms. There' never a 4-mat room since 4 is the symbol of death. And there' never a 7-mat room. In the olden days, 7-mat rooms were used for hara-kiri (suicide).
An Oriental never wears shoes in the home, but no one walks on a tatami floor even with slippers on. These are left neatly at the entrance to this room. Cushions are used to sit on as there is little or no furniture on tatami. Stepping stocking-footed onto a new tatami floor is a good feeling. It' a clean feeling. And an aroma of fresh harvested grain is in the air.
It's very special to watch an expert after he' taken off the old, dirty, worn, stained covering and with deft, professional movements put on a brand new covering. He sprays a fine spray of water over this new material skillfully woven from rice stalks and then pulls it taught, fastening it securely. (plastic spray bottles now replace the old-time method of a big mouthful of water sprayed through the maker's teen!) Then with his big 6-8 inch needle he lines the edge of each mat, using a dark binding material. A beautiful product emerges from his professional touch.
And there's something very special about meeting a person whose life, though once like the old mats, has been changed, become new. Marvel is a person like that. From the life of a hopeless, helpless, dark alcoholic, she was rescued and "recovered" by Jesus Christ. Now for 5 years she's been teaching the Bible and English to Japanese. It's a brand new life that counts.
posted by Lila @ 12:16 PM
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