posted by John Spacey, July 04, 2012 Sometimes Japan likes to keep things simple. Case in point: Japanese futon beds. They may not look impressive but they're much adored in Japan.Bed Culture Shock After a long day of onsen, touring temples or urban exploring you return to your room — and more culture shock.Most hotels in Japan have western style beds. Ryokan, minshuku and hostels may have Japanese futon.Japanese futon are thin. This means they're effectively harder than a firm western mattress.Locals will tell you that a soft bed makes your body soft. Futon are thought to be good for body and mind. You won't catch a Japanese monk sleeping on a fluffy bed.Luckily, most foreign travellers enjoy futon and report an excellent night's sleep. The Futon LandscapeFuton must be aired out in sunlight on a regular basis to prevent them from becoming moldy.As a result of futon culture, buildings in Japan never have a regulation against hanging clothes and beds from windows. The Japanese sense of mottainai means that most people prefer drying their clothes by hanging them.
Japan's urban landscape is a sea of futons on sunny days.Many people beat their futon with a special bamboo stick called a futon tataki to shake the dust off. In rainy season, there aren't many nice days to air out your futon. Some people own futon dryers for such occasions.Futon EtiquetteFutons should be folded up and put away in the morning. This prevents them from molding. It also frees up space for use during the day.If you stay at a ryokan you can leave your futon in the morning — someone will fold it for you. Many guests fold it themselves out of habit or to free space.If you're a guest at someone's home it's considered good manners to fold your own futon in the morning. Japanese homes have special deep closets for futon. However, as a guest it's best to fold it and leave it in a corner of the room out of the way.Futon Terms to KnowIn Japan, both the futon mattress and futon comforter (blanket) can be referred to as "futon". Other terms to be aware of include:ShikibutonA mat that sits on top of the futon mattress.
It's usually stuffed with cotton, wool or synthetic fiber.As mentioned, this can also be called a "futon". The comforter cover often has a net that allows air to flow through on one side. This side should always face up.MakuraA small pillow that's often filled with beans or foam.TatamiTatami are traditional Japanese mat flooring. In Japan, the type of bed you get is driven by the type of flooring you have. Futon are for tatami. Western style beds are used on western style flooring.ZabutonZabuton are thin mats for sitting on. They are often thrown by angry fans at sumo matches. 17 Classic Features of Japanese Houses Tatami: Japan's Love Affair With Sleeping On The Floor What is a Shoji Screen? 27 Tips For Renting An Apartment in Japan 9 Best Places to See Mount Fuji 22 Things To Do In Ginza 7 Things You Need to Know Before Going to a Japanese Onsen Bath Recently on Japan Talk 22 Ways To Improve Your Life With Konbini Japanese convenience stores are amazingly efficient and innovative.
Everyone who lives in Japan long enough becomes hopelessly dependent on them. 99 Things You'll Miss About Life in Japan A list of things people miss when they leave Japan. 100 Kinds of Sushi in Japan The big list of Japanese sushi. 35 Tokyo Temples and Shrines Tokyo has some spectacular temples and shrines that rival Japan's best. 102 Things To Try In Japan 104 Things To Do In Kyoto 81 Interesting Cities In Japan 67 Reasons You Won't Like Japan 30 Things To Do In Japan At Night 127 Things To Do In Japan This article is about the Japanese mattress. For research bias, see FUTON bias. Japanese-style futons laid out for sleeping A futon (布団?) is traditional Japanese bedding comprising a quilted mattress that is usually laid on the floor. A bedding set consists of both a mattress (敷き布団 shikibuton?, lit. "spreading futon") and a duvet (掛け布団 kakebuton?, lit. "covering futon"), although the word "futon" is also used to refer specifically to the mattress.
Both elements of a futon bedding set are pliable enough to be folded and stored away during the day, allowing the room to serve for purposes other than as a bedroom. Western-style futons, which typically resemble low, wooden sofa beds, differ substantially from their Japanese counterparts. Originally written as "蒲団" (futon; lit. "cattail" + "round"), the word "futon" originally referred to a round cushion filled with cattail leaves. Today, futons are generally filled with cotton, and the character "布" (fu; lit. "cloth") is now generally used as ateji in place of "蒲" (fu; lit. A Japanese futon is a thin mattress with a fabric exterior stuffed with cotton, wool, or synthetic batting. Futons are sold in Japan at specialty stores called futon'ya (布団屋?) as well as at department stores. They are often sold in sets that include the mattress and the duvet. Other usual bedding items include a blanket (毛布 mōfu?), a taoruketto (タオルケット?, a summer blanket resembling a large towel), and a pillow (枕 makura?) generally filled with beans, buckwheat chaff, or plastic beads.
[] Futons are designed to be placed on tatami flooring, and are traditionally folded away and stored in a closet during the day to allow the tatami to breathe and to allow for flexibility in the use of the room. Futons must be aired in sunlight regularly, especially if not put away during the day. In addition, many Japanese beat their futons regularly with a futon beater (布団叩き futon-tataki?) to prevent the padding from matting. A futon-beater is a special instrument, traditionally made from bamboo, which resembles a Western carpet beater. Futon are available in single, semi-double, and double sizes. The Western futon is based on the Japanese original, with several major differences. It is almost always placed on a configurable wood or metal frame for dual use as a bed and a chair or couch. Typically, the frame folds in the middle, allowing the futon to be used as a couch, and flattens for use as a bed. It is usually filled with foam as well as batting, often in several layers, and is often much thicker and larger than Japanese futons, resembling a traditional mattress in size.