Hand-made tatami create old memories stitch by stitch

During the hot summer, eating watermelon and listening to cicadas while relaxing on tatami mats with the cool breeze of a fan is a common memory for many people of the older generation in Taiwan. Tatami are commonly seen in the living rooms and bedrooms of Japanese households. Even the standard “ping” unit of measurement used to calculate house sizes and the surface area of constructions in Taiwan was directly influenced by the humble tatami.

Despite a steady decline in tatami orders, tatami artisans still insist on sewing each one stitch by stitch and have successively developed new products such as pillows, car cushions and mats. Hopefully, the skills of handmade tatami will be passed on to the next generation and the general public will find a new love for this ageless home furnishing.

以下為中文對照

手工榻榻米　一針一線縫出舊記憶

在炎熱的夏天裡，躺在有藺草香味的榻榻米上吹風納涼、吃西瓜聽蟬鳴，是許多台灣老一輩人的共同記憶。榻榻米是日本家家戶戶客廳、臥房地板常見的東西，甚至到現在台灣用來計算房屋、建築面積單位的「坪」，也是受到榻榻米的影響。

雖然訂購榻榻米床墊的量減少，但師傅堅持一針一線的縫製，陸續開發了枕頭、汽車椅墊與涼蓆等新產品，期盼手工榻榻米的技藝可以持續流傳，被大家所接受喜愛。

照片