Alternative sleeping surfaces, part 2: If you want a real Japanese futon, you'll need this tool, too

In the quest for good sleep, last year I saved up for a real Japanese futon. The real deal is thinner and fluffier than the ridiculously dense slabs that most Americans think of as futons, and I could only find one workshop in all of New York City that makes them the traditional way. In Japan futons are traditionally meant to be folded up each morning and placed in a closet, freeing up useable square footage in a space-tight country; thick American futons are impossible to fold at all.