This is Jensen Japan.

The innovators of the Sleep Shop concept and home of SA Futons, opened the very first Futon Shop in South Africa 17 years ago. The shop was located in the Church Street Mall. The Jensen factory was established in Cape Town but has since moved to Darling, Western Cape, because of expansion.

Since raw cotton, the principal component of a good cotton mattress, is an all natural fibre - it made good sense to site the factory in an area as far as possible away from urban pollution. The move ensured that there is no contamination to the cotton as a result of the carbon monoxide.

The original Futon Shop is now been relocated to bigger showroom - to give the consumer exposure to the wide range of products produced for The Natural Sleep Shop.

Beni Stilborg, MD of the SA Futon Factory, has been the perfectionist behind the production team. He has taken a hands-on approach to the assembly of the new factory - with as close attention to detail of the plant as he has done with the products Jensen has rolled out over the many years of its existence.

It has been this attention to detail and pride in the Quality of product and the enthusiasm attached to the service that has put Jensen's at the forefront of the futon market.

And not only do they manufacture and sell Jensen Japan Futons, but they go the whole way to educating the public as to the health benefits too.

Being experts at what they do, the Jensen consultant team are also quick to advise clients about the fact that the Japanese word 'Futon" means bedding in English and that inferior products have arisen over the years - that attempt to claim the same benefits as the Jensen product. These manufacturers and retailers of such inferior cotton mattresses have done much to harm the industry.

Says Maria Jensen, Founder of Jensen Japan Futons: "Out cotton mattresses are a healthy alternative to any standard mattress. The public perception that a 'futon' is a cheap alternative to a standard mattress, has come about because of unscrupulous manufacturers and dealers of cheap imitations of the Jensen Futon. Their products are indeed cheaper. They use cheap materials. This is not a marketing hype. We can prove it."

Indeed, the Jensens' manufacturing process is based on several years of sleep research, in conjunction with research into fibres and textiles. Maria Jensen's study of the human sleep environment began in 1980 and she produced her first cotton mattresses in South Africa in 1985.