'Tatami' Japanese floors - Traditional Japanese Townhouse Features

Not all tatami mats are the same. The checkered tatami flooring that you see here is known as “ryukyu tatami.” With a fairly “short” history of 400 years, the ryukyu tatami were introduced in the beginning of the Edo Period from Okinawa Prefecture.

Ryukyu tatami are square tatami mats without a cloth edge and originally had a more blue-greenish color (although these days they come in a variety of different colors). Although it may seem like a modern take on the traditional rectangle tatami, these checkered tatami floors also have a rich history.