Tatami REBIRTH project injects circularity into heritage and craftsmanship

The “Tatami REBIRTH” project, launched at the Yanagawa Tachibana-tei Ohana, a designated cultural property in Yanagawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture, combines traditional craftsmanship with concepts of a circular economy.

Led by the company SAMURAI REBIRTH, the project announced the commencement of its “Joshu (Tatami Owner System)” on 1 June. This scheme allows individuals to support the regeneration of tatami mats that will be used in the grand hall of the Tachibana Residence Ohana. The project addresses the challenge of waste from cultural properties by transforming old tatami mats into valuable resources.

Discarded tatami mats from the historic residence are not simply thrown away, but converted into compost. This nutrient-rich compost is then used to cultivate new igusa (rush), the traditional material for tatami. Craftsmen will then weave new mats from this sustainably grown igusa, completing a cycle of regeneration. These renewed mats will then be placed in the Ohana.

Individuals can become a “Joshu,” or tatami owner, by contributing ¥100,000 per mat. The initial offering is limited to 80 mats on a first-come, first-served basis. Owners will have their name and a message inscribed on the reverse of their sponsored mat, creating a lasting connection to the cultural property. Benefits for owners also include a serial-numbered “Joshu Certificate” and a five-year free pass to visit the Yanagawa Tachibana-tei Ohana, with invitations to special events planned for a later date.

This vision of the project is to shift from the idea of cultural property preservation to one of active public participation, by making it a personal matter. As Kentaro Tachibana, Representative Director of SAMURAI REBIRTH, shares, they want to move from an era of passive “consuming cultural assets” to an era of active “creating them together.”