Cultural
- Sōshitsu's mom: 畳 borders represent boundaries, and such things are the wellspring of courtesy and deference. (CQ76?)
Production
- Made from Juncus effusus (Candle rush), over rice-straw bases. They have fine capillaries, which is why 畳 cool in summer and warm in winter.
- Transplanted in November / December, harvested in July. Dipped in clay and water solution to seal in fragrance and colour; then sun-dried for 2 days, then weaved.
- Base made from rice-straw dried for more than a year; 40 cm of rice straw beaten until it's 5 cm. One base weights about 40 kg.
Arrangement
- There are auspicious arrangements and inauspicious (if there are lots of + junctions, used for funerals)
- Standard tea room: 四畳半（よ じょう はん）, 4.5 畳. If larger, it's called 広間（ひろま）, if smaller, 小間（こま）. The 四畳半 can be either.
- 村田珠光（しゅこう）(1423-1502) created the 真（しん）
- Jōō (1502-55) the 行（ぎょう）
- 利休 (1522-01) the 草（そう）
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 床畳（とこ） | mat in the 床 |
| 貴人畳（きにん） | in front of 床, for the guest of honour |
| 客畳（きゃく） | guests |
| 踏込み畳（ふみこみ） | in front of host's entrance |
| 点前畳 / 道具畳 | tea preparation |
| 炉畳 | 炉 |
| 通い畳（かよい） | cross-through mat |
Sizes
- Kantō (東京）: 176 x 88 x 6 cm
- Kansai（京都）: 191 x 95.5 x 5.5 cm; most 道具 will be designed for this size!
- 67 目（め）, one is usually 14 mm
縁（ベリ）
- 無地縁（むじ）(single colour) and 紋縁（もん）(figured)
- For tea room, dark blue 無地縁 is used; and a figured one in the 床
- unless the room is a 小間, then for the 床 also a 無地縁 is used!
- Thickness half the thickness of 畳