KYOTO--With demand for tatami plunging in Japan, a specialized trading firm here is eyeing a potential market of 2 billion people for the traditional mats.

The company is selling tatami mats that Muslims can use for their daily prayers.

According to the agriculture ministry and other sources, production and import of tatami surface sheets totaled about 30 million units annually until around 2005.

The figure has since declined, with only 9.26 million units produced or imported in 2021, as fewer homes are now furnished with quaint Japanese-style tatami rooms.

Yusuke Hori, 37, an employee of tatami-exclusive trading house Kambe Co., gave thought to the limits in the domestic market.

He considered expanding the mat’s usage outside Japan but knew it would be difficult in countries with no tatami rooms.

Casually watching TV one day provided Hori with a eureka moment: He saw many Muslims prostrating themselves for prayer, and he thought the tatami surface material could be used for their prayer rugs.

Hori had neither visited nations with large Muslim populations nor had any expertise in Islam rituals and services. He created a prototype based simply on the designs of conventional rugs.

Despite lacking confidence in his creation, Hori brought it to the Kyoto Halal Council, which supervises the introduction of prayer facilities for Muslims in Kyoto.

Surprisingly, the tatami rug received a good response there.

The mat’s edges were marked by the “shippo” design comprising multiple circles. The pattern is often used at Buddhist temples in prayers for “eternal prosperity.”

Despite Hori’s concerns that users may be displeased with the “strong reminiscent of Buddhism,” Muslims appeared fully content with the mat due to their liking for geometric patterns.

Another reason was the matting’s excellent durability created through paper strings woven into the tatami surface coated with resin.

The rug’s lightness allows worshippers to move around freely when the mat is rolled up.

Hori also followed some pieces of advice, such as extending the 1-meter prototype by 15 centimeters for easier use in prayer.

Kambe released its unprecedented Inori mats for Islamic services in 2021.

The mat’s reputation has spread to operators of hotels and public establishments outfitted with prayer spaces for Muslims.

Inori mats are also used in a dedicated room at the Japan Da'wah Center in Osaka for the daily five-time prayers among Islamic visitors.

“It is great that Japanese culture can be expressed with its Muslim counterpart,” said Zulkarnain Bin Hasan Basri, 49, director of the exchange center. “Islamic teachings state we should understand differences in cultures and respect each other.”

A growing number of Muslim sightseers are believed to come to Japan every year. Their numbers are expected to increase further with the 2025 Osaka Kansai Expo.

Still, there are relatively few places in Japan available for Islamic prayer.

“We will be contributing to the creation of an environment friendly to Muslims, as Japanese and Muslims are expected to live much closer to one another from now,” Hori said.

Inori mats will be set up in a prayer space on the expo’s site for Islamic visitors.

The tatami matting is also emerging as a hit souvenir among Muslims visiting Japan.