Effect of tatami over Japanese literature – the pride of Japan, the traditional culture that shows seasonal changes
In “Manyoushu”, the oldest poem book that exists in Japan, we can find the words “Yu-datami” and “Yae-datami”.
This illustrates that Tatami and the country of Japan were closely tied from the old age. It is said that “Haiku”consisting of 5/7/7 were developed from “Renga” in this book.
In Haiku, there is a rule that we have to put “Kigo”, a word expressing the season. Though “Tatami” itself is not Kigo, “Igusa”, the material of Tatami, is regarded as summer kigo based on its crop season and “Tatami-gae (Changing Tatami)” as winter Kigo since it’s done often before the new year.
“Tatami-gae” represents Japanese feelings that they want to spend the new year on the new Tatami.
Haiku is a wonderful Japanese literature that expresses thousands of thoughts in only few words. There are Haiku about Tatami. Would you like to experience the world of Haiku?
