It's more that I don't believe futons are actually comfortable. I like give in my sleeping surfaces. Maybe this is not an issue?

Yes, the squeaky-floored castle is definitely on the list.

I think we were planning on a JR pass; we hadn't gotten around to doing the math yet, but I believe it's likely that it will pay for itself with Kyoto-Tokyo.

. . . what is Japanese-style curry like?