Advice & help request: Japanese sleeping apparatus

[Skykid]

When I stayed in Japan in several traditional Ryokans, the sleeping mat/matress is always surprisingly comfortable considering how thin it is. Does this have a specific name, or is it just known as a futon?

In the UK futons are always considered to be thick and heavy and usually for fold out sofa beds - I need something for guest use that can be rolled up and stored in a cupboard, but I don't want some cheapo shit-thin mattress from Argos.

Can someone enlighten me as to said traditional Japanese sleeping apparatus and perhaps where I can get one in the UK?

Also, are tatami mats laid over a springy surface in Japanese rooms? Only asking because from memory they always seemed slightly soft to walk on, rather than stone hard, and I wonder if this contributed to the comfort of sleeping on a relatively thin mattress.

Thanks for the help folks.

[GaijinPunch]

Futon.

Good luck finding one outside of Japan. I couldn't even find a proper one in Hawaii.

Rumor on the street is they're tough b/c they're made out of whales discarded after scientific study.

Also, are tatami mats laid over a springy surface in Japanese rooms?

Nope. They are stitched that way.

[Skykid]

Nope. They are stitched that way.

Yeah, that's what I thought actually. They're pretty well designed them there Tatami.

I found this, but look at the fucking price. I could buy an Esprade PCB for that:

http://www.japangarden.co.uk/Futon-Roll ... -1438.html

Good luck finding one outside of Japan. I couldn't even find a proper one in Hawaii.

How much are they there? Can you airmail me one over?

[GaijinPunch]

You can get a decent one for 8000 yen (maybe 10,000 for a decenter one) but not sure if they'd fit within the size restriction. I can do a little research when I'm not so busy. The price on the one you linked doesn't seem awful, but I'd question the quality. Futons are a lot like sushi... I'm sure westerns can make half decent sushi... but do you really want to try it?

[ryu]

So, basically futons are whale-sushi?

[Skykid]

You can get a decent one for 8000 yen (maybe 10,000 for a decenter one) but not sure if they'd fit within the size restriction. I can do a little research when I'm not so busy. The price on the one you linked doesn't seem awful, but I'd question the quality. Futons are a lot like sushi... I'm sure westerns can make half decent sushi... but do you really want to try it?

Hmm, I was assuming it was imported for some reason. And no, I don't trust western attempts to match the quality at all - especially if it's made in Japan.

Some research would be appreciated though mate, if you can have a scout next time to see what's on offer that would be great. Size restrictions permitting it would probably make more sense (and work out cheaper probably) to buy from the source.

I could always bid on this piece of shit though. Got real authenticity and I reckon the sperm stains aren't even dry. I can't actually believe people want this, surely some shill bidding involved:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Old-Japanese-Indi ... 2c55de4b6f

[ROBOTRON]

When I stayed in Japan in several traditional Ryokans, the sleeping mat/matress is always surprisingly comfortable considering how thin it is. Does this have a specific name, or is it just known as a futon?

In the UK futons are always considered to be thick and heavy and usually for fold out sofa beds - I need something for guest use that can be rolled up and stored in a cupboard, but I don't want some cheapo shit-thin mattress from Argos.

Can someone enlighten me as to said traditional Japanese sleeping apparatus and perhaps where I can get one in the UK?

Also, are tatami mats laid over a springy surface in Japanese rooms? Only asking because from memory they always seemed slightly soft to walk on, rather than stone hard, and I wonder if this contributed to the comfort of sleeping on a relatively thin mattress.

Thanks for the help folks.

Hello, Child of the Sky.

In order to answer you concerning the Japanese futon made of whale blubber...I researched the darkest resources of the internet from the land of the east, being the failure that I am...I inspected the Japanese tearful voice of the whale.

I found out that your characteristic of life can be improved if you lie in fact with a sexy Japanese girl which has been attached to the futon of love. As long as you do not urinate in the bed at night while perhaps sleeping, you should be good. Unfortunately, as for buying the futon of whale blubber in the United States where the BP of oil disaster has occurred, you might like to forget about it. The same is likely in the U.K. because the futon does not originate in that place.

I hope and desire the fact that this helps your gooseflesh, Child of the Sky.

[Skykid]

I found out that your characteristic of life can be improved if you lie in fact with a sexy Japanese girl.

Finding the bloody futon is the hard part.

[GaijinPunch]

My kid continually pisses on ours and we have to get new ones. Or the wife is doing it and blaming it on the kid.

YOu might want to check a Muji in London (I believe they have them, no?). The sizes are easy. Mujirushi here has them for 9000 yen (150 cm x 210cm). Not sure what that weighs though.

[Skykid]

My kid continually pisses on ours and we have to get new ones. Or the wife is doing it and blaming it on the kid.

LOL! That just made my morning.

YOu might want to check a Muji in London (I believe they have them, no?). The sizes are easy. Mujirushi here has them for 9000 yen (150 cm x 210cm). Not sure what that weighs though.

Yes! That's a great idea, there are Muji's all over London and quite a large store on Oxford Street that iirc has a range of household stuff downstairs. I'll check out the website and see if I can give them a ring.

EDIT: Not what I had in mind.

http://www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?V=1 ... 81&PID=782

[Mortificator]

Ignore me if this is a total derail, but talking about Japanese sleeping stuff makes me think of those blankets you see in anime... the ones that are narrow and lie perpendicular covering just the person's waist. Does anyone know what they're for, if they're real? It seems like if it's cold enough that you'd want a blanket, you'd want one that covers your whole body.

[Skykid]

Ignore me if this is a total derail, but talking about Japanese sleeping stuff makes me think of those blankets you see in anime... the ones that are narrow and lie perpendicular covering just the person's waist. Does anyone know what they're for, if they're real? It seems like if it's cold enough that you'd want a blanket, you'd want one that covers your whole body.

Dunno, maybe they're for the hotter seasons?