I am going to make place mats for a girlfriend who lives in Japan. She is American but works with the Japanese people and has them in her home socially several times a week. I made a set of place mats for her with an "American theme" -- red, white, and blue, with lots of stars and some stripes. Now I want to make a set that have a "Japanese flavor." The pattern I am using has 5 different fabrics + a binding fabric.

Ideas as to what I should do?

They drink tea, Do one with tea pot and have a flowering herb in side the pot. You can going on line and look up flowering herb, the herb is the tea. :?

How about putting a kimono as a center piece? Ginger jar? Pagoda? Lantern?

How about bonzai trees????

What pattern are you using?

How about simple designs, like Ikebana?