Where do you go in the United States (U.S.) or Canada to find a Japanese futon

July 16th, 2010 by everydayminimalist

This has been a recurring question and I thought I’d answer it quickly:

Click here to Shop J-Life International’s entire line of fine Japanese products*

*I will get a 5% commission referral if you buy from them, so thank you!

Enjoy!

Posted in Minimalism | 10 comments

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  • Sung

    One main problem of purchasing futon in USA is lack of choices. In addition to purchasing japanese futon in the USA, I explain how you can purchase one from Japan directly. Note though that shipping will be higher depending on the weight of the futon.
    http://www.japanese-futon.net/how-to-purchase-real-japanese-futon-online/ 

  • Hyacinth996

    I don’t see anything remotely close to a $60 futon.

  • jenni

    hey guys, i wanted to buy a japanese style futon mattress or a foam topper for some time now.  my concern was how to keep them clean and covered.  the standard fitted sheets would be too thick for them right?  what do you use to cover the mattress so that you can wash (often) the part that the body touches?  if you dont do that, what do you do to keep it clean?  

    another concern about the futon specifically is how to loft the cotton in the bed.  in india and other south asian countries they have people who come around with a tool that lofts the cotton back up.  i have never seen such services in the US (where i live) or in japan.

  • http://aeronode.tumblr.com james

    In Los Angeles, SK Uyeda in Little Tokyo is an excellent place for imported japanese futons. They’re all cotton (outer and padding) and fairly expensive. My twin was $330! 

  • Kelsey

    In one of your previous posts, you say your futon mattress was only $60, but the ones listed here are much more expensive than that. Where would you find a reasonable quality futon for that cheap?

  • Marcia Drummonds

    I have looked and looked for a futon mattress, the Japanese kind, everywhere on-line and didn't find one that I liked that was in the right price range. There were slim pickins out there. I did find one, only to discover that the shipping was half the price of the mattress. So, I went to Wal-mart and bought the Canopy brand 4" memory foam mattress topper. It is firm but very comfortable, rolls up neatly, and cost $125 Queen. I have it directly on my concrete floor.

  • Meg

    My husband and I are very happy with the futon and tatami mat we got at J-Life International. And for those curious about the tatami mat and whether it is needed, I'd say no, but we have one under my side, mostly because we wanted to see if there was any difference. There isn't much of one. It might be a bit nicer in winter when are floors are colder. (They're concrete!) But, if you just need extra padding, go to Bed Bath & Beyond or a similar store and get some of that foam padding. We have a couple thin layers of that — not enough that we lose the wonderful firmness of the futon that we love, but enough that it's not too hard, either. And it's MUCH cheaper than getting a tatami mat. (We'll probably end up moving the mat elsewhere in our house for sitting or to put under our yoga mats.)

    HOWEVER, I'd like to warn people that the J-Life shipping times SUCK! And they don't warn you of this. We got the futon and mat separately but each took well over a month to get to us. When we finally called, they said that they had been out of stock (both items, both times?!). It would have been nice had they told us when we purchased them.

    Unless you really don't care how long it takes for stuff to arrive, I advise people to call before ordering to make sure the items you want are in stock and to get a shipping estimate.

    • http://www.everydayminimalist.com everydayminimalist

      Thanks Meg :)

      • Lozza_mg

        I bought a futon from J-Life, it was delivered within 2 weeks. I have had exceptional service from them. 

    • Molly

      Meg, which futon did you buy?