PAST EVENT: JAPANESE TATAMI ROOM 畳 by FUTON COMPANY

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【4th – 10th April 2018 (including Saturday 7th April)】
This time, in collaboration with Futon CompanySway Gallery London has replicated the comfortable and sacred space that a tatami room represents. You can pop in to experience what it feels like to sit on the Japanese tatami mat (no worries because we also have a tatami-style chair!).
This is a free event and no reservation is required.
It will be held on a first come, first served basis, however please note that we might set a time slots.
DAILY PROGRAM
 
★WED 4th APRIL
12:00 → CALLIGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION by Taki Kodaira
 
★THU 5th APRIL
13:00 – 13:15 & 17:30 – 17:45 → CALLIGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION by Taki Kodaira
16:00-19:00 → JAPANESE SAKE BAR
 
★FRI 6th APRIL
13:00 – 13:15 & 17:30 – 17:45 → CALLIGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION by Taki Kodaira
16:00 -19:00 → JAPANESE SAKE BAR
 
★SAT 7th APRIL
11:00 – 17:00 → JAPANESE GREEN TEA & SWEETS
JAPANESE SAKE BAR
13:00 – 13:15 → CALLIGRAPHY DEMONSTRATION by Taki Kodaira
15:00 – 15:30 → SHAKUHACHI 尺八 (Japanese wooden flute)
MINI LECTURE & CONCERT by Tomoko Kinuta
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Iconic tatami is a staple of the Japanese interior design. It can be found in spaces ranging from sitting rooms to palaces and temples. Due to its widespread usage, tatami is both cosy and formal.
 
Often, the straw mat is described as a traditional feature of the Japanese interior, however it is as much at home in a centuries-old shrine as it is in a glitzy Tokyo high-rise. Ubiquitous tatami is compatible with the needs of a contemporary interior, both aesthetically and functionally.
 
Mostly made of dried woven rushes, tatami is the foundation of the Japanese floor culture. Often, it is described as uniquely Japanese, but many other cultures use versions of tatami. The Central American petate, for instance, reminds us of the straw bedrolls used during Japan’s Heian Period (8th-12th century). This points to the universal nature of tatami and its potential to spread beyond Japan.
 
Springy but firm, these mats are probably the only flooring soft enough to sleep on, yet sufficiently hard to be used as a work surface. On top of it, tatami’s distinctly sweet smell (waxing and waning with the changing seasons) adds an olfactory dimension to a washitsu (tatami room).
 
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