Arab News Japan

TOKYO: A Japanese maker of traditional Japanese tatami flooring mats is using its skills to produce prayer mats for Muslims, and these will be used in the prayer room to be set up at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo venue, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

The mats are made by Kambe Co., a 107-year-old trading company in Kyoto City specializing in tatami mats. The company spent four years developing the mat under the supervision of a group of Islamic experts based in Osaka with the aim of spreading tatami culture to the world.

Domestic demand for tatami mats has been declining, leading Kambe to diversify. “Among the various possibilities, our focus settled on the mats used by Muslims to pray, as they have a similarity to normal tatami mats,” the spokesperson said.

“Recognizing the importance of maintaining respect for a religious item used in a sacred context, we consulted the Kyoto Halal Council and sought guidance from the Council on Muslim culture, beliefs, and practices. We even enlisted their expertise to oversee the design of the tatami prayer mats.”

While cloth is a common material for prayer rugs, Kambe’s mats use washi paper treated with water-repellent coating. The mats measure 115 centimeters in length, 60 centimeters in width and are 5 millimeters thick.