Futon is popular than Bed?

Japanese people use a Futon as a mattress. Futon is like a cushion and it's way softer than mattress I believe. I saw some Futon for couch in the US but it's not like that in Japan. It's more like thick "comforter".

Usually Futon is folded and stored in the closet at the daytime when people don't use a bed. Even my parents do that every day.