The chairperson of an Okayama tatami mat facing manufacturer visited Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto, and donated ¥110 million to support rush producers who suffered extensive earthquake damage. The donation is expected to be distributed among approximately 240 rush farmers and tatami mat facing producers.
As the survival of rush farmers and tatami mat facing producers is threatened by the earthquake, the chairperson of a tatami mat manufacturing and sales company in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, visited Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, and donated ¥110 million. The chairperson expressed a desire to help with recovery and reconstruction and support rush farmers so that their numbers do not decline.
The donation is scheduled to be distributed among approximately 240 rush farmers and tatami mat facing producers in Yatsushiro City, Uki City and Hikawa Town, with the stated aim of supporting producers affected by the earthquake. Scenes in which victims appealed that their livelihoods were at risk have also been reported.
Damage to rush farms has reduced inventories of the rush used as the raw material for tatami mat facings, pushing up prices. Tatami retailers on the ground are concerned about maintaining stable demand toward year-end because material inventories are running short, and are worried about the impact of higher prices.
Tatami retailers are reportedly considering switching to other materials while strongly hoping that farmers in Yatsushiro will remain in business rather than shut down. The donation is presented as part of efforts to restore the production base in the affected areas.