Wednesday, August 01, 2001

Kakebuton, Makura, Futon and Stuff

I'm still looking for a place to purchase a kakebuton via mail order in the USA. I tend to toss and turn during the night and I end up getting tangled up in western sheets and blankets (a problem that wouldn't happen as often with a quilt or comforter). Sometimes I'll get so wrapped up that I wake up with a sore back from sleeping in a strange position (as well as not being rested because I wasn't comfortable). After searching for a while for "kakebuton", I switched to searching for "japanese quilt" (which is the english translation). Something tells me that it's going to be even more difficult to find a traditional makura (pillow). Japanese Quilt Links was the first site that I found with a fairly recent list of links about the topic, places to buy, etc.; but even with being updated back in March a lot of the linked sites no longer exist. Most sites seem to deal with books about making japanese quilts and quilt patterns rather than allowing you to purchase a pre-made quilt. Since I don't sew, I guess I'll have to look elsewhere.

One of the sites had buried the entire text of the about.com Japanese Futon web page in HTML comments (talk about sneaky search engine tactics). Here is an excerpt from the about.com page:

Nowadays, although many Japanese sleep in beds, it is still common to sleep on a futon mattress spread on the floor. But whereas westerners know futons as a small couch that turns into a bed, it is very different from the traditional Japanese futon. A traditional Japanese bedding set includes Shikibuton (under-futon), Kakebuton (comforters), and Makura (pillow).

The shikibuton is usually stuffed with cotton batting and wrapped in shikifu (sheets). The Japanese use different types of kakebuton depending on the season, such as light ones in summer and heavy ones in winter. Kakebuton made from down feathers are light and comfortable but are generally the most expensive. The traditional Japanese pillow (Makura) is filled with red beans or buckwheat chaff.

Futons are usually put away during the day in the closet called oshiire. The oshiire closet has sliding doors and is usually divided into two shelves. Traditionally, it is best to keep the futon on the upper shelf.

You can read the rest at the Japan for Visitors site. Or check this summary of Japanese Futon.

posted by Wuphon's at 6:13 AM