Our Organic Cotton Filling
Our Organic Cotton Filling
The organic cotton used in our Futon Mattress (shikifuton) begins in Gujarat, India, one of the country’s major cotton-producing regions.
We directly import our cotton from the Murata Group, a cotton supplier in Gujarat. The cotton is grown by contract farmers who follow GOTS standards and receive guidance to help maintain organic farming practices and traceability.
We use non-genetically modified, native varieties of cotton.
In the clothing industry, long-fiber cotton is often preferred because it feels smooth and comfortable against the skin. For futon filling, however, we look for a different quality. Traditional futons need cotton with body, resilience, and enough fiber strength to support the body over time.
The native cotton we use has the fiber character needed for futon making. It can be opened, layered, and shaped into a filling that feels soft at first, then gradually becomes denser and more supportive with use.
GOTS Certification and Traceability
Our organic cotton is certified under GOTS, the Global Organic Textile Standard.
GOTS certification is not only about whether the raw cotton is organic. It also covers the handling, processing, manufacturing, and distribution stages, with standards designed to prevent contamination or mixing with non-organic materials.
This helps ensure that the cotton can be traced through the production chain, from the farms where it is grown to the cotton we prepare for our futons.
Organic Farming Practices
The contract farmers who grow this cotton follow GOTS requirements, including practices such as:
- Using organic fertilizers and crop rotation
- Avoiding synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers
- Using non-GMO seeds
- Managing pests and weeds through organic and integrated methods
- Conserving water and managing irrigation responsibly
- Preventing contamination after harvest
- Reducing environmental impact through sustainable land use
- Following social responsibility standards for workers
- Undergoing regular inspections by the certifying body.
Preparing Cotton for Futons
After the cotton is imported to Japan, it is prepared at our own factory.
The cotton is cleaned, opened, and carded into sheets before it is used for futon making. This process removes debris and helps align the fibers so they can be layered evenly by hand.
During this process, no flame retardants, insecticides, adhesives, or other residual chemical treatments are added to the cotton.
The cotton is sanitized during processing and prepared without leaving such treatments in the futon filling.
For us, cotton is not just an invisible filling inside the futon.
It is the core material that determines how the futon feels, how it supports the body, and how it changes over time.
By selecting organic cotton at the source and preparing it ourselves, we can make futons that stay close to the natural qualities of cotton.
You can watch a short video overview of our organic cotton here: