[Tokyo August Event] Experience Japanese culture through tatami! 4-day limited special exhibition "Now is the time to talk about tatami"

Tatami mats have long been an integral part of Japanese life. But did you know that little is known about their materials, origins, and the wisdom and ingenuity of their artisans? COMMOS PROJECT presents the exhibition "Time to Discuss Tatami Now," which explores the material culture surrounding tatami mats and proposes possibilities for future lifestyles, working with those involved in tatami, including those involved in raw material production and manufacturing, and the manufacturers who support them. The exhibition features a 32-tatami mat installation in the Spiral Garden atrium, an education area for deepening basic knowledge about tatami, and an exhibition area showcasing new tatami furniture and products created by designers and artisans from Japan and abroad. Experience touch, see, smell, learn, and contemplate the appeal of tatami through all five senses, including workshops in collaboration with Kumamoto, a tea workshop by the Sakurai Hocha Research Institute, and more. These four days offer an opportunity to reexamine the future of tatami.

・Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025 - Sunday, August 31, 2025

Event Details

・Event hours: 11:00-19:00 (first day 12:00-16:00, last day 11:00-18:00)

・Venue: Omotesando "Spiral Garden." (Spiral 1F) 5-6-23 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo

・Admission: Free Workshop reservation (free): https://peatix.com/group/16487816

・Nearest station: Omotesando Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Hanzomon Line, and Chiyoda Line

In front of Exit B1 or 1 minute from Exit B3 towards Shibuya

(Elevators and escalators are available at Exit B3)

・Official site: Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/commos__project

Organized by: COMMOS PROJECT Executive Committee

CONTENTS

Education area (an area introducing the history, manufacturing methods and materials of tatami mats)

There are panels on display explaining the history of tatami, a traditional material, and its constituent parts, and a corner where you can learn about the characteristics and specifications of tatami. A tatami mat is disassembled into parts, and samples of each material are on display so you can touch them.

Tatami installation to enjoy with all five senses

A 32-tatami tatami space spreads across the open atrium. In addition to various types of tatami mats, we also have several types of tatami flooring made from different materials available, allowing you to experience the difference in texture and comfort. Additionally, the 32-tatami stage will be used as a venue for workshop events using rush grass.

Design x Craftsman Product Exhibition

Maison-N / YOKOYAMA TATAMI LOMA / YOKOYAMA TATAMI

STUDIO THE BLUE BOY Tokyo Product

Collaborative works between domestic and international designers and tatami craftsmen, furniture made from rush grass and tatami mats, and furniture to be used on tatami mats will be on display on the venue's esplanade (grand staircase).

Workshop & Gallery Tour

Igusa Tea Ceremony "Hanashitakusajo" Hosted by Sakurai Shinya by Sakurai Hocha Research Institute August 29th (Friday) 14:00-16:00 First 30 people

Located in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo, Sakurai Hocha Kenkyusho is a Japanese tea specialty store that researches and creates new ways to enjoy Japanese tea. The store, run by owner Shinya Sakurai, sells seasonal blended teas and roasted tea in-house, with a focus on carefully selected Japanese teas from all over Japan. In the tea room, you can enjoy a tea course and tea and sake. This exhibition will offer a new way of experiencing tea in a tatami space, providing a new experience that is linked to modern lifestyles.

Igusa Accessory Workshop by itiiti August 30th (Sat) and 31st (Sun) 15:00-16:00 First 5 people each time

This is a creative workshop where participants can freely create accessories using off-cuts of rush grass. The workshop will allow participants to enjoy color combinations and shapes while taking advantage of the texture of the material and the lightness unique to rush grass.

Kids Workshop "Let's make a rope out of rush grass" by Inoue Sangyo August 30th (Sat) and 31st (Sun) 13:00-14:00 First 8 people each time

Igusa grass, known as the raw material for tatami mats, has long been an integral part of daily life, being used to make ropes and fishing nets. In this workshop, we will invite Mr. Inoue from Inoue Sangyo, a workshop in Yatsushiro that is the only one still making igusa rope, to experience weaving thin rope using traditional methods. The process of weaving using hands and feet while surrounded by the aroma of igusa grass is a dynamic experience that engages all five senses. Adults as well as children are welcome to participate. We hope that parents and children will enjoy spending time interacting with the material.

Gallery tours by COMMOS PROJECT members August 29th (Fri), 30th (Sat), and 31st (Sun) at 11am and 5pm

The education area introduces the history of tatami mats, as well as the materials and characteristics that make them up. You can also learn more about the ancient Japanese culture of tatami and rush grass by listening to explanations from COMMOS PROJECT members about the various types of tatami mats laid out on the 32-tatami raised stage installation.

*No reservation required. First 10 people accepted.

Adjacent event: Souvenir corner "New forms of rush and tatami / selected by IGUSALONe" (during the event period)

Glassblowing studio Grasta TOMO / Igusa glass Igusa Saryo / Edible Igusa itiiti / Earrings

Liberato / Tatami cross sandals Inoue Sangyo / Custom-made igusa rope sandals Igusa Saryo / Igusa basket

"Igusa evangelist" Ittetsu Toyomura, who works with igusa grass, the material used to make tatami mats, and communicates his views on "food, clothing, and shelter," will be introducing and selling a number of exquisite items to coincide with the exhibition.

Exhibition Overview

[Organizer] COMMOS PROJECT Executive Committee

[Sponsors] Yamanaka Sangyo Co., Ltd., Kanbe Co., Ltd., Yatsushiro Tatami Mat Awareness and Demand Expansion Promotion Council, Daiken Corporation,

Tokura Co., Ltd., Hagiwara Co., Ltd., National Tatami Industry Promotion Association, Ishida Weaving Co., Ltd., Ito En Co., Ltd., Epson Sales Co., Ltd.

Kawashima Selkon Textiles Co., Ltd., Shirakawa Paper Co., Ltd., Sekisui Seikei Kogyo Co., Ltd., Takada Textile Co., Ltd., TENTOK Co., Ltd.

Kibi Co., Ltd., CSK Co., Ltd., TokyoProduct Co., Ltd., Yokoyama Co., Ltd., Kaneka Kentec Co., Ltd., KLASS Co., Ltd.

Koyo Sangyo Co., Ltd., JSP Co., Ltd., Daiichi Shoji Co., Ltd., Takashima Co., Ltd., DuPont Stylo Co., Ltd., Tokai Machinery Industry Co., Ltd.,

Tokuratec Co., Ltd., Nakamura Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Miyazato Warp Thread Co., Ltd., Morioto Co., Ltd., All Japan Tatami Business Association

Association, Japan Tatami Industry Association, Asagoe Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Takenaka Corporation, Marue Co., Ltd.

[Sponsors] Yatsushiro City, Hikawa Town, Japan Fiberboard Industry Association, Better Living Foundation,

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

[Exhibition Direction] Studio Lai

[Planning/PR] BRB

[Venue design] Design studio IO

[Art direction & design] desegno ltd.

[Joint project] IGUSALONe

The COMMOS PROJECT is a research project that explores new material culture in Japan. Launched in 2023, its first initiative is to "disseminate the culture of irreplaceable traditional materials such as rush grass and tatami mats." As a platform for reassessing Japan's lifestyle and industrial structure, the project aims to reassess the value of rush grass and tatami mats and lead to new ways of using them. The project name, "COMMOS," is derived from "komo," the straw mat that was once considered the origin of tatami mats.

http://www.instagram.com/commos__project