Visiting Valle de Bravo, Mexico, to see the Tatami mats delivered a year ago

March 2, 2026

Hello. I visited Valle de Bravo, Mexico, a week ago. It is a famous tourist destination, but this time I visited the home of a customer to see the tatami mats I delivered a year ago.

I went to Valle de Bravo by bus. It takes about two and a half hours from Mexico City. There are direct buses and buses that go through several places. There were also buses back to Mexico City every hour.

As in every city in Mexico, there is a church and a square in the center. I had breakfast at a place facing that square. A flock of pigeons was flying around.

I went from the square to the customer's house, but I got lost and it took about an hour. The taxi fare doubled and I also left my selfie stick in the taxi.

The customer told me I could take photos freely, so I first went to see where the tatami mats were being used. As soon as I entered the tatami room, I felt the scent of the tatami's Igusa (rush grass). The scent of Igusa has a relaxing effect similar to that of a forest. I was told that this space is used for reading and meditation.

Also, these are foldable tatami mats, but can you tell where the fold is? Even looking closely, the fold line was not visible at all.

This visit was a valuable experience to see the collaboration between Mexican wooden architecture and Japanese tatami. I also have a video on YouTube, so please take a look.

The customer also asked me a question: tatami can be used for 10-15 years. The time to change it is when the core material, which is the base of the tatami, becomes dented.