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《Why don’t you stay at home?》
What do you think of for life at home in winter in Japan? Can you imagine you would relax surrounded by any comfortable furniture or any utilities? Japanese people have been familiar to some of them, and have established unique life for our own. Now, let me introduce some useful clues for leading a comfortable life in winter in Japan.
《What is Kotatsu?》
There are some kinds of heating appliances in the world, and we, Japanese people have a unique one called “Kotatsu.” It is a lower square table attaching an electronic heater, and covered with quilted Futon. We sit around the table stretching our feet inside it. Some families use “Kotatsu” for a dining table, or others use it for chatting, watching TV, or playing some games together. In any case, “Kotatsu” will be a symbol of a happy family. You will see a common scenery for Japanese people surrounding feast at “Kotatsu” on A New year’s Day on Japanese films, dramas, or manga (comic books.) In northern or eastern part of Japan, people use both “Kotatsu” and some other heating appliances, but western or southern part of Japan, some people use only “Kotatsu” for winter because of the climate differences. It is also quite interesting for some younger people living single to use “Kotatsu” with some “nostalgia.” If you are interested in a “Kotatsu” life, try to find a Japanese family who use one, or think of purchasing one for yourself. Please check some home centers or furniture shops. Please note that “Kotatsu” and Futon for “Kotatsu” are usually separate each other, and you might purchase them separately. You can check some information about “Kotatsu” by visiting the following link.
http://www.nitori-net.jp/store/ja/ec/こたつ
《Keep moisture》
It gets quite dry in Japan in winter, and we pay attention to moisture in our houses. Heating appliances such as air conditioners or “Kotatsu” will make it worse on humidity. So, we have various kinds of humidifier which is quite familiar to our life in winter. It is said that influenza virus will be active when humidity is less than 40 % while mold will be active when humidity is more than 60 %. As a result, we need to depend on a humidifier which measures humidity in the room to adjust that automatically. The price of humidifiers varies in a wide range, so you had better check with the staffs at appliance stores on each specification. Some will work like aroma diffusers to make you feel relaxed as well as keeping you from virus or mold.
《Hot water bottle ~Yu-Tannpo~》
Have you ever heard “hot water bottle” or “Yu-Tannpo?” Let us imagine. When you go to bed in winter, will you feel happy if your bed is warm? “Yu-Tannpo” has been handed down from China hundreds of years ago which makes your bed warm in advance. We put boiled water into the bottle to cap tightly, and put it into your bed a few hours before the time you go to bed. That’s it! “Yu-Tannpo” has been popular decades ago, but it has regained popularity among Japanese people because it is economical and ecological. The design varies abundant nowadays, and you will enjoy choosing one for you. Please check with internet shopping site such as Amazon.co.jp.
《Hibernate? Yes!》
When you feel tired of walking around outside in cold weather, why don’t you slip in “Kotatsu” to share relaxing time with your family or friends? You are expected to have a hot pot party in “Kotatsu.”
Clare
Japan