When in Rome, isn’t that how the saying goes?  Well, if you were in Japan, you would use a Japanese futon and sleep on the floor.  Not actually on the floor, you would be sleeping on tatami mats upon which your futon was placed.  And, your futon bed would consist of a bottom mattress layer and an upper quilted futon cover layer.  When not in use, you would hang it out to air.

The traditional way of sleeping on tatami mats was once reserved for the luxury of the nobility.  Now, it is common practice.  These tatami mats used to be made of rice straw and now are made of compressed wood fibers and even Styrofoam.  Then, the futon mattress can sit on those, rather than directly on the floor surface.  The mattress parts are hung frequently to air out in the sun and are usually cleaned by beating them with a bamboo cane or stick.