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Zashiki is a traditional Japanese room with tatami
sheets laid out. Long ago, Japanese houses were
made with boards. There, they laid enza (a circular
pad made out of stems and leaves, similar to a zabuton)
and sat down, calling the whole setting a “zashiki.”
Usually in a zashiki, there are tatami sheets laid
out all over. A tatami is a traditional flooring
material in Japan. Igusa is dried up, compressed,
and sewn together.
There are a lot less compared to the past, but there
are still tatami sheet crafters, and their skills
delight anyone who sees them in action. New tatami
sheets have a strong fragrance of the igusa, and
a room laid with tatami is instantly filled with
the unique smell. This smell is very refined.
You are not supposed to get on the tatami sheets
with your shoes on. In Japan, there is a custom
of taking off your shoes inside the house, so the
same goes with Japanese restaurants in the United
States with zashiki rooms.
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Please remember
to take off your shoes before going into a zashiki. (Make
sure to not wear holey socks, or you will
find yourself in an embarrassing situation). In a zashiki,
there is a short table on the tatami. There are no chairs,
which is why the table is short in height. The tatami sheets
are not soft, so when you sit for a long time your bottom
and legs start hurting. In that case, you should use a zabuton
(Japanese cushion). There is also the problem of where to
put your legs, but there is something called a horigotatsu,
which is a setting where there is a pit to dangle your legs
in. You can sit at the table like you are sitting at a chair.
This is perfect for people who have a hard time sitting
seiza style (sitting on your legs).
There is no special
rule for eating at a zashiki. But there are some things
you could know that would be useful. For example, the zashiki
seating. The seat that can see the whole zashiki area and
where the toko no ma (alcove) is (Toko no ma is a type of
a decorative element in a zashiki. It is a place to hang
scrolls or put flowers), or if there is
no toko no ma, the seat farthest from the entrance is known
as the"kamiza." The kamizais the seat for the
person with the highest position or rank.
Having a traditional Japanese meal in a zashiki with your
shoes off and straight posture will be a change that you
might enjoy. There will be Japanese art on the wall, a single
flower in a vase. There are instances where you can view
a Japanese garden from the zashiki.
Enjoying a traditional Japanese meal at a zashiki. This
is probably a luxurious way to spend your time.
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