Japanese Futon

The Futon
Perhaps you begin reading this article not being familiar with the bed known as a Japanese futon. This informative writing is to help you get a healthy grasp on the Japanese futon. The futon can be defined as a Japanese quilted mattress usually laid flatly on the floor or on a raised wooden surface. The substance used to make the padding of the futon can be made out of materials such as cotton, down, feathers, wool, and other materials.

History of Futons
As the Orient becomes more westernized the Japanese futon is being used less each year and regular mattress beds are becoming more popular. The main reason that you might not find a western bed in a traditional Japanese home is because of the amount of space a box spring bed would take up in a room.

The typical home in an Asian country is not like a European or American home. You will not find a bed room for every child and a closet for every person’s clothes. Most of the homes found in Asian countries are made up of one or two large rooms with a wall to divide the kitchen from the rest of the house. Because of the limited amount of space in their home they try and utilize their space in every fashion possible. The futon is a type of bedding that makes it possible to not only sleep in this small area but to also be able to use that same small area for other needs throughout the day.

How a Futon Works
Japanese futons are made in such a way that you can easily fold them up and store them during the day. This helps you save space in your home that otherwise would be filled with bedding that really is only used for a few short hours at night, allowing that area to be used for other things during the day. At night you can simply take the futon out of storage and roll it back out on the floor and sleep comfortably for the night.

The Growing Trend
Even if you are just now learning about the futon, the fact is that these items are become a popular item all around the world. The futon can be found in many varieties and in all different shapes and sized. You might go to one corner of the world and find one version of a futon and it be completely different from the version found in another section of the world.

Conclusion
I hope you have now gotten a little taste of how a futon may be able to be used in your life. A futon can be used in so many divers ways and in so many different places the possibilities are endless. I end with this little thought about this subject, “Though you may or may not be tight on space in your home, there is always room for a Japanese futon.”

Lifetime
It is important to understand how to care for your Japanese futon correctly. If your futon is properly cared for it can be maintained for upward of ten years or beyond. Futons can be used in a variety of ways and because of the diverseness of the ways it can be used you need to have a key understanding of how to clean and care for it. Futons are not only used as bedding, but are also used frequently as extra seating in a room. One of the reasons they are so popular is that they are usually inexpensive, stylish, and easily stored.  No matter how you decided you want to use your futon, if you will learn how to care for it you will not have to worry about it wearing out for a very long time.

The Mattress
With the many different styles of Japanese futons available today, it is easy to get over worried about everything being cared for properly, however you main concern will be taking care of the mattress. Many times your mattress will outlast any hardware your futon sits on if properly taken care of. The futon mattress should be treated much like you would treat a traditional bed mattress. It is important to make sure the futon stays dry. If something does soil it, you will want to quickly clean it up so as to prevent odors from forming. Also if the futon is used on a regular basis it is a good rule of thumb to flip the entire mattress at least once a month and change the sheets on a weekly basis.

Cleaning the Mattress
While some will think that cleaning the mattress is going to be a complicated thing, it really only takes common sense to clean the mattress. It really is not a difficult thing to keep your Japanese futon mattress clean. You should clean it on a regular basis to ensure that your mattress last for years to come. If you should have something spill on the mattress, use a mild detergent that has been diluted in water and clean it as quickly as possible. It might also be good to air dry the mattress outside after you have cleaned it.

If you have a child sleeping on the Japanese futon, who is prone to have accidents in their’ sleep, it would be a wise thing to get a vinyl sheet to protect the mattress from being ruined. The protective sheet may also be used if the futon us used more often as a couch for entertainment than it is as a bed.

Air It Out
One way to preserve the freshness of the mattress is to air the mattress outside at least twice a year as this will keep odors from building up in the inner makings of the futon.  A fresh smelling room is always more appealing than one that smells of old spills and accidents on your Japanese futon.

Why Get a Futon
Do you know why you should get a Japanese futon? If you don’t know why, then let me take time to tell you the top reasons you should consider getting you and your family this incredible piece of furniture.

Space
I would say the number one reason for considering a Japanese futon would be because of its space saving ability. I don’t know about your family, but me and my family enjoy a good campout in the living room every once in a while. You know the kind where you stay up late watching movies, eating popcorn, and passing out on the couch. The problem is if you have a family that is larger than a two person family, you don’t have enough room on the couch for everyone. Our solution to this as a family is a traditional Japanese futon. These things are awesome because they can be folded, stored in a closet, pulled out only when needed, and the best part is they only take up about 2 feet of closet space.

Comfort
The second best thing about these bad boys is they provide a comfortable surface to sleep on in the vast wilderness known as the living room.  One of the worst things about having one of those special family indoor camp outs is that the children most of the time end up getting the comfy couch while the parents end up on the hard floor. While a sleeping bag and some extra blankets might give me a semi-comfortable surface to sleep on, nothing beats the ease of getting my Japanese futon out of the closet only requiring me to get one blanket out to snuggle up in and sleep soundly on a soft cloud of comfort.

Children Love Them
For Christmas my two children received the special gift of a Japanese futon from their aunt. When they opened those packages they were filled with the excitement of having a bed they could use to sleep on the floor. My children begged to sleep on the floor that evening and have done so many nights since. Children also love to bring them along on trips and vacations so they don’t end up having to sleep on the hard floor of the two bedroom house that grandma lives in or on the hard rocky ground at the camp site at which you chose to stay. This will save you the pain of hearing your child complain all day about how bad the sleep was and will give them the good night sleep they need so as to be energized for the excitements of the day.

Final Though
While I could mutter on and on about why my family loves these Japanese futons, I would say the best way for you to see what I am talking about is for you to go out and get yourself one and enjoy the experience of sleeping on these comfortable pieces of furniture.

Japanese futon is becoming popular outside of Japan and have found its way into Western culture. In case you are wondering what a futon is, it is the Japanese word for the soft mattress they use for sleeping on the floor. Traditional Japanese homes don’t have a lot of furniture and their people don’t sleep on a typical bed like we do. It’s part of their age old traditions.

The use of futons has been around in Japanese culture ever since. The Japanese futon is packed with soft materials such as cotton, or wool and artificial batting which make them comfy for sleeping even if they are normally spread out  just on the floor. Sleeping on them is as soft and cozy as sleeping on a mattress placed atop regular bed frames. Most Japanese specialty store sell futons in packages that come with its padded futon mattress and quilted blanket.

Aside from being soft and comfy, using Japanese futon is practical because it saves space and provides for the room to be used not just as bedroom but for other purposes as well. The futon can be folded and stored in the closet when not being used and to protect it from accumulating dirt and dust.

If you are looking to create a different ambience for your room, you might find the idea of a Japanese futon appealing. It can be a distinctively valuable piece of furniture you can add to your bedroom. Or you can simply choose to have one just in case a close friend or family suddenly shows up at your doorstep and spends the night with you. Having a futon around would certainly be handy

Western futons although patterned after the original Japanese futon, have added several unique features. Nowadays, western people place the futon on wooden or metal frames. The frames can be positioned either for sitting or reclining, thus serving as a bed at night and a cozy couch at daytime.

The western version is also bigger and thicker compared to the Japanese futon because it is manufactured with additional layers of foam and with more batting. With lovely covers, they ensure that the mattress is clean. The covers come in various designs and colors to blend with the rest of the room. Additionally, futon covers would help the mattress to last for many years.

The Japanese futon which was once upon a time confined in Japan is slowly becoming the best type of bed for people across the world. It is very practical especially for families living under a small house or in residences where there isn’t enough space to accommodate some furniture and beds at the same time. It will not be a surprise if in the future people will be going to their ‘futons’ instead of their ‘beds’.

Just like anything that has evolved as the years go by, the same can be said of Japanese futon. It has evolved in their home country and several changes are being incorporated into its equivalent version in other countries.

But there is no doubt when it comes to its efficiency as a piece of furniture. After all it has remained in the Japanese culture for many centuries; otherwise, it would have been replaced or totally discarded.

Not too many people maybe aware that the modern futon is a spin-off version of the traditional Japanese futon. Yet, the western or American futons are, in many ways, distinct from the traditional futons of Japan. The main difference between the two versions is in connection with the futon’s mobility. Several other differences will be discussed later.

Traditionally the futons were used in Japan as a space saving alternative to a mattress. The Japanese futon is made up of two parts – the bottom mattress called shikibuton; and the thick quilted bedcover or kakebuton. In comparison, the western version is different because it has normally a single piece of cover that can be changed to adjust the color and/or design. On the other hand, the Japanese version is likewise different because it usually comes with blankets and pillows.

The stores that sell futon mattress sets are called futonya. The shikibuton and the kakebuton normally comprise the sets. Sometimes the sets include a mofu or blanket, a toaruketto, which is a summer blanket that resembles a towel, together with one or more pillows they call the makura. The Japanese futon could be similar to the western futon except that the pillow is typically fashioned from plastic beads, buckwheat chaff or beans; giving a totally different feel in relation to the feather pillow of the western version.

The major distinction between the Japanese futon and its western counterpart lies in their mobility. The western-style futon is placed atop a wood, metal or complex framework with hinges at the middle to serve a dual purpose: it can be folded flat down to resemble a bed at night and folded into a reclining position to serve as a couch during the day. In Japanese culture, the futon is designed to be used as a bed that can be folded up easily and kept away in order that the room can serve a different purpose at day time.

The western-style futon and the Japanese futon serve a common purpose –  it provides an area for sleeping in. The fundamental distinction between the two is that the Japanese futon is intended to be stored inside a cabinet or closet during the day to provide space. On the other hand, the western version of a futon is commonly encased within a frame that can be folded into a reclining position just like a couch. Because of this, a Japanese futon is more appropriately described as futon mattress while its western counterpart is referred to as futon couch.

No doubt the Japanese futon has certainly found their way into Western culture. And the futon type bed is becoming popular in many other cultures as well. The futon is practical especially for people who are living in small houses or in dwellings with limited space and where having some furniture and beds together takes up too much space. In essence, both the Japanese futon and its western equivalent are designed to save on space while at the same time giving you a nice and comfy area to sleep on.