Tatami Museum
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One very good reason to visit the Tatami Museum is because it actually is the only Tatami Museum of Japan. You have many Tatami makers but only one museum and it is in Ibaraki!
You will be first surprised to find it in the middle of nowhere near Takahagi, North-Eastern area of our beloved Prefecture. Do not judge it from the outside. This museum, which is also a craftsmen school (currently 10 students), holds many treasures you could have never imagined or suspected. Trainees display their works in the museum, and even for 1st-year students, you would be amazed by the quality goods that are being displayed. At this very time of the year, 1st year and 2nd year trainees are completing their end-of-year assignments, so we were able to see them providing the final touches to their works, if not pieces of art.
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By the way, talking about pieces of art, did you know that Tatami Art is not all about producing squares and rectangles to make your home's floor look refined and unique? Tatami is much more. There are also Ori-Tatami Byoubu (折り畳み屏風 Folding Screens) and Enkei-Kabekake （円形壁掛け Circular Wall Ornaments）which, according to one of the 1st-year-trainees who showed us around, needs the use of a huge compass to build the shape. It can take up to 2 weeks to make one of these small but beautiful wall ornaments.
Is that all? Of course not. Ever heard of a Kaneko-Dai （鐘子台 Tiny Bell Stand used to welcome a small-sized bell rung when praying God at home）? You will also find embroidered Tatami. The surface of a Tatami, called Tatami-Omote （畳表）can be embroidered (刺繍 or Shishu) and that can cost, alone, 30,000 yen. In comparison, the rice-straw core of a Tatami (芯 Shin), or the body in other words, can cost 100,000 yen a piece. . . .
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What else can you make out of Tatami? A Gyokuza (玉座 Throne). Designed for highly ranked people, it is usually made of 5 layers. The most influential ones sit on the up most layer. This is of course reserved for rulers, emperors, lords. Each layer of Tatami corresponds to a hierarchical rank, just like some sort of pyramid. The picture of the miniature version of a Gyokuza should give a better idea of what this is all about.
Who can afford this? Well, it is not common to have this kind of Tatami in one's home. Usually Ryokan (旅館 Inns) and Oyashiki （お屋敷 Estates）are decorated with them. It is indeed really expensive since we are talking about real Tatami. Modern techniques have permitted producers to make different, cheaper kinds of Tatami that use artificial material. These from the Tatami Museum are all 100 percent natural masterpieces that require more time to make but that surely have a soul. They are all hand-made by the dozen of apprentices that are trying to keep this art alive.
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Years ago, 30 apprentices were learning the craft at this school. One might be worried about the future of this profession. This would be a shame if it had to disappear.
Go and see for yourself the splendid Golden Tea Room (黄金の茶室 Ougon No Chashitsu) along with the hexagonal and octagonal Tatami rooms (六角堂 Rokkaku-Dou, 八角堂 Hakkaku-Dou) ! You might want to become one of the last genuine Tatami makers in Japan!
Finally, we would like to give an enormous thank you to Museum curator Ichikawa-san and 1st year trainee Suzuki-san who showed us around the museum and answered our questions. Thanks also to the Tatami teachers and his trainees who interrupted their work so that we could take a group picture altogether.
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The Tatami Museum
Open all year round from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost of entry: 600 yen for adults, 350 yen for children
Address: 1915 Aka hama Ishiuchi, Takahagi City, Ibaraki
Phone: 0293-22-5066
Access: 7 minute taxi from JR Jōban Line Takahagi Station. 5 mins by car from the Takagahi IC, Jōban Expressway.
Website: http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~ibatata/bijutu/