Featured

futon

We found possibly the quietest Japanese-style hotel in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district

It’s truly an oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku…in Shinjuku.

Read More

New heater-less pet kotatsu is a safe way to keep your furry friends warm this winter

The kotatsu was developed under the supervision of a veterinarian and uses special Heat Loop technology to trap heat.

Read More

Two things to do, and two things not to do, when leaving a traditional Japanese inn

Ryokan workers share the little things they appreciate travelers doing before check-out, and the things they’d rather you skip.

Read More

Japan’s gigantic KitKat futon looks like a sweet place to catch some Zs【Photos】

If you love KitKats so much, why not sleep inside them?

Read More

This futon blanket with built-in fans will save your life this Japanese summer

Say “no more” to waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat.

Read More

Japanese etiquette lesson: Should you fold up your own futon when leaving a ryokan inn?

The sleeping mat has to get folded up before it gets put away, but who should do the folding?

Read More

Japanese cat owner buys feline futon for his pets, they instantly know exactly how to use it

Cats seem pretty happy with the new sleeping arrangements, after making some changes to the owner’s plan.

Read More

Futon-loving Pomeranian shows us how to spend winter Japanese-style【Photos】

Pochi is now our cold-weather role model.

Read More

You and your family can kiss productivity goodbye with this ginormous kotatsu futon

Working from home was great while it lasted but we’re about to become full-time nappers at home. 

Read More

Doll otaku’s plastic bedmate gets loving hospitality from beautiful Japanese hot spring inn

Traditional ryokan in onsen resort town wants to make sure both guests sleep tight.

Read More

Futon izakaya lets you drink and sleep on the cheap

Now you can sleep inside a restaurant in Japan.

Read More

Meet Japan’s adorable otter YouTuber, Chiitan!【Video】

Are you this adorable sleeping in a tiny futon?

Read More

Japanese futon for your wallet lets it rest, claims to impart Shinto blessings

Luxury and divine assistance, all in one tiny, traditional package.

Read More

Put your smartphone to bed in a cute Pikachu futon

Let your smartphone dream of electric rodents with this gorgeous new range of cosy futons.

Read More

Kitties wrestle before bedtime in their cat-sized futon【Video】

Cats have a reputation for being solitary creatures, but that isn’t always the case, as proven by a recent video uploaded to popular Japanese video-sharing site, Niconico Douga.

Taken by a proud cat parent, the video, which features two kitties turning in for the night in a cat-sized futon, is sure to put a smile on your face.

Read More

New range of futons for cats feature traditional Japanese patterns, made with tails in mind

One of the great pleasures of visiting Japan is the chance to sleep in a futon, traditional Japanese bedding that’s freshly laid out on the floor every evening. When you’ve got a nice thick mattress pad, a fluffy, quilted duvet cover and a compact buckwheat pillow, a night sleeping on tatami straw floors is a night few foreigners forget.

Now you can share the traditional Japanese bedtime experience with your feline friends, with a gorgeous new range of futons created especially for the discerning four-legged customer. From the gorgeous Japanese prints to the matching pillow and the ergonomic, tail-friendly design, this is the best chance yet for obliging humans to finally reclaim their beds!

Read More

Super Mega Important Debate: Are Japan’s futons awesome or simply awful? 【Poll closed】

Happy weekend, everyone! Congratulations on surviving another week!

But before you run off to smother yourself with butter and startle donkeys by shouting the names of under-appreciated actors from the 1980s (hey, we don’t know what you do with your spare time), we have one little question to ask you: are Japanese futons awesome, or are they awful?

Read More

Sweet dreams, MasterCard: People in Japan are putting their wallets to bed in tiny futons

We all have our funny little habits and daily rituals. Some of us don’t feel settled at night unless we’ve put all the dishes away or spoken to our loved ones on the phone. Others can’t head to bed unless they’ve first checked that the front door is locked or whipped the shower curtain open to ensure there isn’t a monster, murderer, or acid-spitting xenomorph in there waiting climb out of the tub after they’ve fallen asleep.

But did you know that some people in Japan are now getting into the habit of putting their wallets to bed before themselves?

Read More

Hamster steals iPhone’s mini futon

This futon, although technically meant for an iPhone (because Japan), is now home to a little hamster who seems to have found his new favorite spot. This has got to be the cutest case of theft we’ve ever seen!

Read More

No typo here – Amazon Japan offers vicuña wool quilt for just US$674,000!

The vicuña, for those of you had never heard of it before (guilty!), is, according to humanity’s savior Wikipedia, one of two wild South American camelids (you know, llama-like animals) living in the high alpine areas of the Andes. Its coat is said to produce the finest wool in the world. It also happens to be the most expensive for a variety of reasons, including that the animals will starve themselves to death if held in captivity, meaning they cannot be farmed, and shearing wild ones can only be done once every three years, and even then only about three pounds of the animal’s hair can be harvested.

So, I guess that explains why a seller on Amazon Japan was trying to offload what I am sure is a very nice futon quilt for 67,200,000 yen (about US$674K).

But is it worth the price? Well, there’s only one way to find out: time to call accounting for some cash and place an order.

Read More