how's the weather?

So the part of Japan where I live is at about the same latitude as Virginia, maybe even a little bit closer to the equator. When I found this out, I thought “Oh, good news for me, I can handle that.” If I could go back in time and talk to myself when this thought crossed my mind, I’d say one thing:

HA!


Though my prior statement would seemingly be ‘factual’ and ‘true’, I neglected to take into account the heating practices that are in existence in Japan. First off, let’s start with two implements I incorrectly assumed to be commonly utilized in Japan:

1. Central Heating. Remember being out in the snow and hail, bundled up in your winter best, walking quickly in anticipation of the relief that you would feel the moment you stepped into your classroom/office/house, relishing in the idea of walking around sans the multi-layered barricade that is necessary outside?

Yeah, well tough beans. If you’re walking into a Japanese classroom/office/house and it’s not currently occupied, you will be able to experience the enormous relief that comes with a two-degree heating. Ain’t got too much of that whole central heating business outside of Hokkaido, the northernmost (read: freezing) island of Japan.

Of course, there are ways to heat your house and office, one room at a time. Most commonly, for economic reasons, this consists of a kerosene heater, a small device which I believe will look and feel much like heaven to me once the dead of winter hits. I do have one, but I’m not going to lie, I’m was a bit nervous about using it. Kerosene spills, possible carbon monoxide poisoning, and my tendency to gravitate toward accidents doesn’t add up too well.

Moving on:

2. Insulation. The lack of this nifty application in most Japanese buildings contributes very much to the insubstantial difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures. I can kind of understand that resources are expensive, hence the lack of central heating, but insulation? Insulation saves both money and heat in the long-er run. Even if houses weren’t initially built with insulation in mind, why hasn’t it been utilized since its discovery? I’m going to put that question in the pile with “Why do school lunch chefs feel the need to add mini-fish to an overwhelming majority of vegetable dishes?”

Japan’s got some things going for it though. Since necessity was the mother of invention, I’m figuring that the shortage of the above listed items was surely the source of these wonderful, almost magical creations.

1. Kotatsu. At first glance you might think that this is just a small table that somehow got a blanket stuck in it, but in reality it is a genius’s gift to Japan. It’s got a blanket in it but it also has a heater on the underside of the flat part of the table. A kotatsu set comes with a bottom part as well, something like a carpet to put under so that you can sit comfortably with your legs under the table. By comfortably I mean very comfortably. With the lack of cheap and easily-done (as in, easy for me, me being lazy, see prior post) heating available in Japan, the kotatsu has won over the hearts of Japanese people and foreigners alike. Already I’ve heard of entire evenings of potential socializing ambushed by the heated allure of the kotatsu. Fortunately for our social lives, the kotatsu can accommodate upwards of four people so, if you don’t mind a little coziness, there are ways to maintain real-live (not messenger) human contact during the winter season.

2. I think it’s called a Kaero. These things are both useful and fascinating. It comes inconspicuously enough, a package you can get at your local convenience store or supermarket. With the look and feel of a small bean bag, upon shaking, this magical device gets warm. That part may not be so amazing, but when you realize that this device stays heated for hours, is quite cheap, and is small enough to be stored in prime locations like pockets and hands, it becomes the invention to top all others—well, except maybe fire and central heating.