Calling Noboru Ueda a committed professional would be an understatement.

The tatami-mat maker who runs a shop in Seya, Kanagawa Prefecture, chose to put his business aside in pursuit of replicating century-old judo tatami, little of which still exists.

"When weaved properly using original and organic materials, a tatami can endure up to 100 years of use. And it can be recycled as fertilizer in the end," Ueda said in a recent interview.