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Where can I buy at least jo grade tatami mats?


piryohae3

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I want to get a production beater sword for tameshigiri. The only US vendors I found sell mats by Mugen Dachi which are nami grade, the lowest without a bamboo core. I'm looking for new jo grade or better with a green bamboo core. Anyone know where to find them?

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I run e-budo.com, James, & if there are tatami omote grades better than bare mats, I haven't found a source after 20 years of searching. Tameshigirimats.com is where I bought my last batch of 500 mats, but their Web-site seems to be down or defunct. They used to sell to Nihonzashi, whose prices are now exhorbitant!  Might have to grow your own tatami.

Nihonzashi NihonzashiNihonzashi, whose prices are exhorbitant!
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Ken is right, the prices from resellers like Nihonzashi are ridiculous, but unless you are prepared to buy a shipping container (yes literally), fill it with tatami omote, and pay for all of the shipping and logistics, and store the container and thousands of mats once it arrives, you will pay upwards of $8 per mat after shipping.

 

My sword organization was able to do what I described above by pooling resources. That got the price per mat down to around $4... which is still infinitely more expensive than what it costs to cut in Japan ($0!).

 

It’s tough practicing an art that includes tameshigiri in America... even tougher in a big city. :-/

 

And by the way, I have only seen either mugendachi or tatami omote for sale. If you’re looking to insert green bamboo you’ll literally have to “roll your own.”

 

Good luck.

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The Owner at mugendachi gave me this idea a few years ago, to get beach mats to feel more like tatami when cutting. Or should I say similar resistance when cutting . Roll about 3 beach mats and insert a 6mm-10mm pine dowel. Soak about 12 hours. Dry for an hour or so. This is what we have resorted to here in Australia. As well as fresh green bamboo.

Jeremy

post-386-0-13647000-1587435506_thumb.jpg

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It gives similar resistance to the mugendachi grade tatami (which is the lowest grade/softest resistance) however it doesnt compare to the used tatami omote and other higher grade tatami used in Japan. Even these beach are starting to become hard to find here down under!

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Jeremy where do you get your beach mats from?

I bought a bunch of tatami off ebay a few years ago for a bucket load and since then anything ive found is even more rediculously expensive unfortunately. Im very keen to get somd too, hopefully theres a solution.

Ive seen videos of piles of free tatami that are used in Japan. Such a tease!

 

Greg

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My class brought in a container last year, was an expensive exercise, but worked out to be about $4.50aud a mat (that's like 25c USD these days haha), the minimum was 2000 mats, but they were made to order and were wider than the usual 1800x600 dimension, which means more cuts per session if you are economic about it.

I bought 100 to beef up my stock.

The cheapest site I have seen otherwise is ninecircles.com, if you buy 100 at a time

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One thing NOT to do is try to substitute rolled newspaper for tatami. Two of my kohai ruined decent shinken, thinking they could cut anything with their new blades.

 

Here's the link for Nine Circles: https://www.ninecircles.co.uk/iaido/test-cutting-and-accessories/test-cutting/straw-test-cutting-mats-100-pack/

 

Great if you're in the UK.

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What are traditional tatami mats made from? Straw or bamboo?

Is this a good deal? 20 for 170$ roughly? They're almost 4' in length

https://www.ebay.com/itm/352895158178

These aren't tatami omote. As Ken had said, tatami is a type of rush or igusa grass. Bit harder to cut than straw . Not sure if that eBay straw is a good deal or not.

Jeremy

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What are traditional tatami mats made from? Straw or bamboo?

 

Is this a good deal? 20 for 170$ roughly? They're almost 4' in length

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/352895158178

Those look a lot like the mats that Bugei used to sell. If they are they are fun to cut, but they are spongy. Won't provide you the same feedback as cutting real tatami omote. Bad cuts can still make it through just fine. I vote Nihonzashi.

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  • 1 month later...

I recently purchased some mats from nine circles with Jeremy and I am extremely happy with the mats and the speed they arrived in Australia especially during the covid situation even happier with the efforts from Jeremy. If anyone ever has to do any kind of business with Jeremy I recommend him for his honesty and great communication. Thanks again Jeremy.

 

Greg

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Thanks for the kind words Greg . It was unusually quick from the UK to Australia! Freight for 100 tatami was about $500 Aussie, definitely not a cheap endeavour by any means! Safer than cutting bamboo especially here in the winter time though.

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