The Tatami mat is a woven floor covering. It's always there, not just to sleep. You never walk on tatami with shoes on.
To sleep you will be given a futon which is a very padded covering, sort of like a sleeping bag. It goes under you and over you. In a really traditional Ryokan you will also be given a pillow that is stuffed with buckweat. I never could adjust to those pillows but otherwise, sleeping in a futon is not bad.
In really traditional Japanese sleeping, geisha used a wooden head support (takamakura) and slept on their back so that they wouldn't mess up their hair. I think men also slept on their back.
Look up Japanese futon and you can see what they look like.
Comments
I was very comfortable.
Comfortable. Some people may have problems getting up and out of one.
The Tatami mat is a woven floor covering. It's always there, not just to sleep. You never walk on tatami with shoes on.
To sleep you will be given a futon which is a very padded covering, sort of like a sleeping bag. It goes under you and over you. In a really traditional Ryokan you will also be given a pillow that is stuffed with buckweat. I never could adjust to those pillows but otherwise, sleeping in a futon is not bad.
In really traditional Japanese sleeping, geisha used a wooden head support (takamakura) and slept on their back so that they wouldn't mess up their hair. I think men also slept on their back.
Look up Japanese futon and you can see what they look like.
We slept on several different tatami mats and futons in Japan
Here is one
We did sleep with some buckwheat pillows.
I have an antique ceramic pillow from Japan. Sorry, I can’t turn the photo, can anyone do that for me?