Hello everyone. Today, I'd like to share the journey of developing our new lightweight Tatami.
While we have been providing traditional Japanese Tatami internationally, the biggest hurdle has always been shipping costs. Tatami is bulky and heavy, which significantly increases air freight expenses. This often led to the total cost exceeding our customers' budgets.
To address this, we began developing a lightweight version over a year ago. Here is our very first prototype made with a urethane core.
Prototype Vol. 1
Although it was a start, we faced several issues. Firstly, the appearance—the surface (Tatami-omote) was sagging and didn't look right. It also wasn't as light as expected. Furthermore, when I personally tested it by sleeping on it with a Futon, it felt unexpectedly hard.
Changing our perspective, we created this improved version:
The look is identical to authentic Tatami, yet it weighs only 3.8kg. That is incredibly light compared to the standard 9kg of traditional ones. This will drastically reduce international shipping fees.
The core structure uses materials much lighter than usual while maintaining durability. We have made great progress, though a few challenges remain—such as a slight looseness in the surface tension. We are currently refining our sewing techniques to solve this.
I’ve been sleeping on this "Tatami Air" with a Futon, and the comfort level is excellent. It provides the authentic feel of Japan without the burden of heavy weight.
I expect to share another update in a few months when the refined version is ready. See you soon!