KOTATSU!

[yuiyoshida]

YES, that's a Heater!!


Easy Peesy


It so much part of Japanese culture!


Eveyone loves it..


They are Historic!


Stylish



I WANT ONE!! ...

[seabeyond]

1. I WANT ONE!! ... i am thinkin... nt

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. I had one when I lived in Japan

With a kotatsu, I could live without central heating. I spent evenings there, and stored my clothes for the next day under it.

When I woke up in the morning, I leaned out of my cozy futon and turned on the kotatsu. Then I put on my heavy terrycloth bathrobe, which I kept in the futon, ventured out of bed, and ran to the kitchen. I heated water for coffee and stood in the kitchen next to the stove. Once my coffee was ready, I took it and some cereal into the room and sat down at the kotatsu. By the time I had finished breakfast, my clothes were warm.

This was great in midwinter, when temps could go down to 25°F at night.

However, it would be tricky bringing a kotatsu to the States, because the electric power in Japan is weaker (100-110, as opposed to 120 here) than in the U.S. You'd have to be careful so that the power system of the kotatsu didn't burn out.