It’s no secret that I love Ryokans (traditional accommodations, usually with public bath). However, just what you sleep on in these will vary between Western Style Beds and Futons. This causes concerns for many travelers as on first sight, the futon may not look comfortable.
A couple of years ago, we rented an apartment in Osaka. It was a nice little two bedroom in a great location. When we walked in and I saw futons in the bedrooms, I freaked out for a moment. We had a 10-day stay booked and I was still dealing with a fair amount of discomfort from having my hips replaced. I wasn’t sure how I would cope with this, but I figured I’d roll the dice as I had little choice.
What happened really surprised me. Instead of waking up sore, I woke up feeling great! I’ve thought about why this was for quite a while. I came up with a couple of reasons for this. First, since this was a short-term rental focused on foreigners, they added another inch of padding to add a bit more cushion. I suspect the quality of the pads was above average as well.
From my experience, most of the time, if you are sleeping on a futon, you are in a room with tatami mats on the floor. Tatami mats are magical as they add cushion and insulation, making them perfect for laying a futon on. There is a significant difference between natural tatami and synthetic. Natural is nicer as it seems to feel better and often holds a pleasant odor.
Secondly, the tatami floors make it easier to “live on the floor”. Each morning when I woke up, and even for those middle of the night bathroom visits, I had to bring myself up from the floor. This sounds awful, but it was a good thing. By getting to my knees then slowly bringing myself up, I was stable once I was upright. Keep in mind, my hips had been fighting me for months, and “first step stability” was a concern. I was shocked at how much better I felt at the end of that stay.
As I’ve aged, I’ve become more interested in Blue Zone populations. These are regions where life expectancy and more importantly, quality of life is greater. Japan has a population that ages well. By that, I mean people in there 80s and 90s are very active, some still work, many still ride bicycles and walk further on a daily basis than the average American, regardless of age. According to experts in the field, living on the floor is one of the reasons. You move more and move differently, using different muscles.
Bottom line: It’s worth trying a futon if you can bring yourself up from all fours easily. It may or may not be for you, but you may be missing out if you don’t give it a go.
