We are heading for japan in a couple of months and a friend has recommended that we stay at a ryokan with friends of hers that can guide us in kyoto.
Using tatami mats in america.
Tatami floor mats are regularly used as sleeping mats for the floor.
We would also recommend that you frequently even daily if possible lift your shikibuton up off of the floor and drape it over a chair so air can flow around it and allow it to breathe and shed moisture.
Tatami mats are perfect for providing clean air to your living space.
You can use tatami mats in several ways such as floor coverings chairs or benches as well as for sleeping on.
Perfected over 1300 years handmade japanese tatami is the most versatile flooring available.
The rush grass covering can last for at least 10 years.
These mats are also great for thermal and acoustic insulation.
Walking barefoot or with socks is the best for a tatami mat.
Put tatami out in direct sunlight once per season on a warm day.
The fresh air rejuvenates the mat and uv naturally disinfects the tatami.
Regardless of the reason we would recommend that if you re placing your futon on a hardwood or a laminate flooring that you use some sort of natural fiber absorbent mat set such as a goza or igusa mat these are essentially the outer material of a tatami mat or throw rug underneath.
Every 5 years you can turn it over.
Although many newer japanese apartments have wood and tile floors there are still quite a few that will have tatami as the flooring.
Tatami mats are great for keeping a balanced level of moisture in the room by steadily absorbing or dissipating moisture when there are periods of high or low humidity.
In the west these mats probably most familiar to any person who has been in a martial arts dojo.
A soft pat with a stick releases dust from the mat and it is considered cleansed.
It is important to never walk with shoes on the tatami mat as it can damage the woven rush material.
A tatami mat cannot last permanently.
On tatami mats here.