MITOKO
MITOKO（ 御床 ）
畳の歴史
畳の起源は奈良時代（8世紀）
当初は「敷くもの」ではなく
貴族が座る場所だけに置く「座布団的存在」でした
室町時代には武家社会の発展や
書院造により、畳を部屋全体に敷詰める「座敷」へと変化する
安土桃山〜江戸時代には
千利休によって四畳半など極小空間が生まれる
畳の割か方が精神性と結びつく
この時代に「 間 」という思想が生まれる
江戸〜明治時代にかけて
畳が一般住宅へ広がる
地域ごとにサイズ差が生まれる
戦後からフローリング化が進み
和室が減っていく
畳の歴史は
① 置く（局所的）
② 全面に敷く（建築基準）
③ 再び“置く”へ戻る（現代）
という循環をしています
『 MITOKO 』は
原初の「置く畳」に回帰しつつ
現代の居住空間に馴染む寸法で
畳を再設計しました
寝具の下に敷く事をメインとして設計していますが、それ以外にも、様々な用途で使用していただけたら幸いです
灰桜色 / 栗色 / 墨色
３色展開
History of Tatami
The origins of tatami date back to the Nara period (8th century).
At that time, tatami were not used to cover entire floors. Instead, they functioned more like cushions, placed only where aristocrats would sit.
During the Muromachi period, with the development of samurai culture and shoin-zukuri architecture, tatami evolved into a full-room flooring system, forming what we now know as zashiki (tatami rooms).
From the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the Edo period, tea master Sen no Rikyū introduced highly compact spaces such as four-and-a-half tatami rooms.
During this time, the layout of tatami became deeply connected to spiritual and aesthetic philosophy.
It was also in this era that the concept of Ma (間)—the awareness of space and interval—emerged.
From the Edo to the Meiji period, tatami spread into common households, and regional variations in size began to develop.
After World War II, the rise of modern housing led to the widespread adoption of flooring, and traditional tatami rooms gradually declined.
The history of tatami can be seen as a cycle:
- Placed locally (partial use)
- Spread across entire rooms (architectural standard)
- Returning once again to “placing” (modern reinterpretation)
“MITOKO”
“MITOKO” returns to the original concept of “placing” tatami,
while redesigning its dimensions to harmonize with contemporary living spaces.
It is primarily designed to be placed beneath bedding,
but we hope it can also be enjoyed in many other ways.
