Matsu Gallery

Noshi is part of the Matsu family of stores specializing in quality natural bedding and gifts, and is similar to the other location I’ve visited on Solano Ave in Berkeley. Like many other stores that sell high-​end Japanese bedding, Noshi has a nice selection of futons, futon covers, comforters/​bedding/​pillows, and zaisu (a leg-​less Japanese chair used on the floor). Bigger items include tatami mats and shoji screens, but the highlight of this store are the tatami beds. Tucked away between shelves of tea cups and other Japanese gifts are a number of pretty things, including beautiful hair pins (the large kind worn in Tokyo as part of the traditional dress for hanabi displays [fireworks]), which were the only thing I haven’t seen in other similar stores.
Unlike the import beds that you might find elsewhere (which are just perfectly fine in my book), the tatami beds sold in Noshi are handcrafted for the stores and come in a variety of styles, heights, sizes, and finishes. If you’re in search of elegance and simplicity and can afford to pay for the craftsmanship, then look no further!
In addition to beds and bedding, Noshi carries the more common type of futon frames one might envision when thinking of futons, along with matching end tables. Of course, these items display the same quality as the beds we considered.
The saleswoman from Hong Kong we talked with on a few occasions (and who helped us select a nice futon) loves to sell the cherry finish — she’s so sweet that I almost felt guilty buying my tatami bed elsewhere.