COMPANIES

COMPANIES

Hishigen Co., Ltd.

100 years of trust and achievements: A tatami manufacturer that connects tatami culture to the future and takes on the challenge of a low-carbon society

Founded in 1919, Ryogen Tatami Co., Ltd. is a tatami manufacturer that also sells tatami mats.We construct tatami mats for a wide range of customers, from small to large scale, including private residences, public housing, shrines and temples, restaurants, and hotels. We provide custom-made tatami mats tailored to customer needs, serve as ``tatami stylists,'' and continue to explore ways to create tatami mats that fit modern living spaces.


Consistent support from tatami manufacturing and sales to construction and repair At Hishigen Tatami Store, we continue to carefully create high-quality tatami mats using carefully selected domestic rushes. Using traditional construction techniques that have been cultivated over more than 100 years, we not only manufacture and install new tatami mats, but also perform maintenance such as replacing tatami covers, repairing tatami edges, and exterminating mites. Please leave it to us for special tatami mats such as shrines and temples.


Thorough commitment to domestic rushes In addition to being soft enough to prevent injury, tatami mats also have excellent heat retention and moisture control properties. In addition, rush has a relaxing scent and is a symbol of Japan.
Hishigen Tatami Shop is very particular about domestic rushes, which are used as the material for tatami mats. Every year, we visit rush farmers in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, check on the performance of the rushes while assisting with their farming operations, and carefully select and purchase high-quality rushes.
In order to create the ideal tatami according to the customer's needs in the form that best fits the space, we use meticulous craftsmanship to produce each tatami piece with all our heart.


Role as a “tatami stylist” We are ``tatami stylists'' who propose the best tatami mats considering the overall balance of the space. We don't just sell tatami mats, we carefully listen to the customer's spatial image, purpose of the room, budget, and preferences, and select the tatami mats that will function most effectively.

Stylist will help you choose tatami mats
The variety of tatami mats available is not limited to the traditional tatami mats, but there are also more options, including rimless tatami mats, semi-tatami tatami mats, colored tatami mats, and Japanese paper tatami mats. We carefully select the tatami mat that meets your needs from a wide variety of options.
Pursuing the optimal tatami edge
Tatami edges affect not only the design but also the durability. We will select the most suitable tatami edging from a wide variety of edging patterns and materials to suit your tastes and the atmosphere of your space, and make suggestions to ensure that your tatami can be used for a long time.
Total coordination for your ideal space
We use our extensive knowledge of tatami to provide total coordination, not only regarding the type and quality of tatami, but also the overall atmosphere of the room and maintenance methods. We support the creation of comfortable and comfortable spaces, from casual spaces to high-end spaces.


Initiatives to connect tatami culture to the future Tatami mats have long been popular as an indispensable item for rooms where families can gather and relax in a free position.
In recent years, the production volume has decreased due to the soaring prices of rush materials and the aging of farmers, and industrial products such as resin are increasingly being used instead of natural materials. Additionally, as lifestyles change, more and more people are using hardwood floors. However, even under such circumstances, we would like to pass on the goodness of domestically produced tatami to the next generation.
While holding mini-tatami making workshops to help children learn about tatami, we will preserve Japan's original landscape with tatami.

Production Examples

  • You can choose from limited quantity high-quality tatami mats that won the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Award to inexpensive domestically produced tatami mats.

    We have 8 types of domestic rush tatami mats available.
    You can choose from a limited number of high-quality tatami mats that won the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Award, to inexpensive domestic tatami mats for rental houses and properties, depending on your preference.

    Master: The best in Japan both in name and reality. It is truly a national treasure.
    Yokozuna: This is a masterpiece of tatami mats that are selected by local wholesalers using strict screening criteria and created using outstanding weaving techniques.
    Ozeki: We use only the delicious parts of the wide range of handsome brands carefully selected by local wholesalers.
    Sekiwake: This is a tatami mat carefully selected by a local wholesaler.
    Komusubi: A tatami surface made of slightly short rushes woven tightly together.
    Checkered pattern: This tatami surface is woven in a checkered pattern using natural domestic rushes.
    Maegashira: A safe and secure domestic tatami mat woven from cotton thread.
    Juryo: Uses short rushes woven with cotton thread. There is some color unevenness in appearance.

  • Choose from a variety of tatami edges

    We have approximately 30 types to choose from.
    We have a wide range of materials available, from linen and 100% cotton to polyester and plastic.

  • Making tatami mats using the highest quality domestic rushes

    This is a high-quality tatami mat made with rushes from Kumamoto Prefecture (our standard: Oyakata), which won the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award.
    (specification)
    Material: Oyakata (rush from Kumamoto prefecture)
    Warp: linen and cotton
    Edge: linen
    Construction scale: 10 tatami area, 3 rooms
    Period: 1 month from consultation

  • Making tatami mats for the tea room

    We have newly installed tatami mats in the tea room.
    Construction was carried out using the process of on-site measurement, tatami layout, manufacturing to size, and on-site installation.
    One piece of tatami mat that will fit the hearth is made so that the hearth part and the rest of the tatami mats match.
    (specification)
    Material: Komusubi (rush from Kumamoto prefecture)
    Warp: linen and cotton
    Edge: linen
    Construction scale: Construction between 4.5 tatami mats
    Period: 1 month from consultation

  • Making tatami mats for the hallway

    Construction of replacing tatami mats in temple corridors.
    Construction was carried out through the following process: measurements through on-site survey, tatami layout, manufacturing to size, and on-site installation.

    (specification)
    Material: Komusubi (rush from Kumamoto prefecture)
    Warp: linen and cotton
    Construction scale: 10 tatami area, 3 rooms
    Period: About 1 month from consultation

Company Profile

Company Name Hishigen Co., Ltd.
Founded 1919
Capital 2 million yen
Head Office 1-10 Kawana Honcho, Showa Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture
Representative Yutaka Hishida, President and CEO
Number of Employees 5
Business Activities Manufacturing and sales of tatami mats

Efforts to develop new environmentally friendly products

Development of upcycled products using tatami scraps

【 Product Features 】


It is a product that can be installed in both Japanese and Western rooms, and even people outside of the floor culture area can enjoy touching tatami. We created cube-shaped stool furniture using waste materials from the production of tatami mats. It was developed with a modern Japanese style in mind, and was developed with B2B in mind, so that it could be incorporated into accommodations and restaurants.


【 Points leading to green innovation 】


We reused the core material of discarded tatami mats to create furniture with added cultural value and design. The product has become a creative product by not only “reusing” the tatami material, but also by adding cultural value and design to it.


Interview

Background on Participation in this Project

Currently, when building a new house, Japanese-style rooms that require tatami mats are often an option.As a company that has been manufacturing tatami mats using only domestic rushes, we feel a sense of crisis that tatami mats are becoming more and more distant from living spaces.We therefore participated in this project in order to explore new values ​​for tatami mats that can be used by young people as well.


Findings and impressions after participating

Now that the raw material rush is soaring and tatami mats themselves are replacing natural materials with industrial materials such as paper and resin, those of us who know tatami well feel a strong need to reconsider tatami culture.

In this project, we worked on product development by upcycling tatami from an environmentally friendly perspective, and considered ways to avoid wasting rushes, which are a rare natural resource.However, we realized that in order to preserve tatami culture, we also need to create new ways to use tatami to suit modern life.


Future proposals from our company

In the future, we would like to actively collaborate with different fields such as furniture, stationery, and food, and aim to spread awareness among younger generations.

We would like to accumulate the know-how to communicate the cultural value of tatami and develop our business with an eye to global trends, rather than focusing on regionally-based business development.