Tatami

In my last post, I explained that the Japanese don't like central air and heating. One of the reasons is because of their use of tatami. Tatami are mats that are placed mainly on the floor of bedrooms in Japan. The mats are always the same size and so commonly used, that room measurement isn't done in feet (or centimeters) in Japan, it is done in mats (ie: my bedroom is six mats big).

How does having tatami on the floor explain the lack of central air in Japanese homes? Glad you asked, my wife told me that tatami actually absorbs the humidity in the air, making the room cooler.

Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, I'm proof that she is correct. Our living room is right next to our bedroom, both sliding glass doors open onto the same balcony. In the living room with the door open, it feels hot and humid and so uncomfortable that we needed to use the air conditioner. Right next door in the bedroom with tatami mats, it feels much cooler and breezy, we didn't even have to use the fan.

My wife says that during the winter the exact opposite is true, the tatami actually soaks up the heat from the sun and keeps the room warm. I'll have to take her word on that, as I haven't experienced a Japanese winter yet, but I'll let you know.

Tatami - it keeps your room cool in the summer and warm in the winter and,unlike carpeting, it lasts for years and years and still looks new.

That must be why it's not available in the Untied States.