Find Japanese Futons All Around the World
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on futons, visit http://www.overstock.com.
Futons are a comfortable and popular style of bedding that originates from Japan. It is traditional Japanese lore that futons were originally built by Samurais that couldn’t achieve mastery in the art of swordplay. This is not a proven fact, though.
When most people think of futons, they think of inexpensive low-to-the-floor bedding used in college dorms and roommate living situations. But futons don’t have to be reserved for use as cheap bedding. Futons were traditionally used in Japan for people of all classes. The futon was designed as comfortable and attractive type of bed that was convertible and utilitarian.
Futons consist very simply of a padded mattress, a few quilts and a pillow. Most standard futons can be easily folded up by people of all strength levels. Many futons convert into couches for sitting. Others are folded away completely into built-in wall compartments or closets. These futons are meant to remain out of sight so the bedroom can be used for other purposes during the day. There are few futons that convert into walls or closet spaces in Western countries. This is more common in traditional Japanese homes. The traditional terms for futon parts are as follows:
There is the shikibutton. The shikibutton is the bottom mattress. It is usually a thin heavy mattress that is only about 2 inches thick. The mattress is usually dense and filled with cotton. The surrounding fabric is often made of denim, canvas, tweed or some other heavy material.
The kakebutton is the thick quilt that is sold with the futon. The kakebutton is just like any other quilt. In some instances, the kakebutton might be a bit more dense than some traditional quilts and it may be larger in width and length. Some futons come in larger or odd sizes and require an irregularly-sized quilt.
Futons are usually sold with a shikibutton, a kakebutton, a lightweight blanket or summer blanket (somewhat like a towel) and a pillow or a makura. The makura is often filled with chaff, beans, buckwheat or plastic.
Futons are also all built to rest on top of traditional tatami flooring. The flooring is built on joints and springs so it can close like a door on hinges to fit in a more compact shape, the closet or the wall compartment it was designed for.
Though futons are often folded away out of sight, it is important to give futons the proper care. All futons must receive some form of daily sunlight or they will become rancid and putrid. Keep the futon clean. The Japanese use large bamboo sticks to clean their futons. Use something similar and beat your futon mattress like a rug.
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January 29th, 2011 - 7:37 am
find futons in lauceston, tasmania, australia.
if not, anywhere in tasmania