This is meant to be a guide for those who'd like to live in Japan... And might benefit from the lessons learnt as a 外人gaijin( foreigner) house wife.

布団Futon: not the couch that pulls out into a bed. We are talking about the thick mats made of cotton most Japanese people sleep on.
There are actually four parts to these beds. 1. The actual 布団futon... Dense cotton or wool mat. 2 掛け布団kakebuton. This is the nice comforter that you sleep under. 3. The mat マット that you put under the futon to give you more cushion. 4. 毛布 Mofu: pretty much the blanket between you and the kakebuton. Can be a think sheet or a thick fuzzy blanket

Lesson number one: YOUR FUTONS NEED DRIED or they MOLD. STINKY BADNESS
If possible once every two weeks.., at least once every two months. Normally we dry them by hanging them outside to sun.
house wife rules for drying... Japan
At least two days after the last rain
Between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm to avoid dampness in the air ( Japan is HUMID... Unless it's in the very north...)
The futon needs to be turned 4 times during the drying process to get all sides.

The mats and the kakebutons also need sunned, but not as often. But they are extra nice and fluffy after sunning

Lesson number two: futons and tatami vs Wood floors
Tatami are the rush mats that are common in traditional houses. I personally love the smell.
Futons are meant to be used on tatami. Tatami breathes. It doesn't trap moisture like wood floors do. But make sure your tatami is clean before putting your futons down. It can mold and it us a HUGE pain if tatami molds. But for the most part you can just leave your tatami out for a week or so and be ok on tatami. Just remember that you need to fold the futons up and move them so the tatami can breath every now and again.

Now woods floors take a lot more to mold themselves... But they mold the futons very quick!! There are actually slotted wood frames to put under your futon mats so they can breath if you don't want to constantly fold them up and put them away. Don't leave your futons out more than a few days, or you risk the mats or futons molding.

Lesson number three: vacuum your futons!
Now there is drying your futons to prevent mold... And we vacuum our futons to prevent mites. They love moist wet places with dead skin. Slowly running your vacuum over the whole futon can really help prevent and get rid of mites.

So, if you don't want to hang out your futons in the sun, vacuum them, and have to fold them up on occasions and move them around... Best to buy a bed
They it is great to have for guests, or if you live in a small space and need to turn your bedroom into a normal room.

( there is more... But you need to wait until Japanese 201...)