The Tokyo Chapter: Warm me up

Let's face it. Japanese houses are cold. They don't have any insulation to speak of; carpeted houses are unheard of; central heat is for the very, very rich (I've never experienced it here); and outside is really cold! It is a recipe for frigid winters where you don't thaw out for months. At least inside you aren't hit with the bone chilling wind.

When I lived in Osaka, I would rush home after work and dive into my futon upon arrival. I'd stick out an arm or a leg and push the button on my room heater, a portable heater that sat on the floor. I would then lift of a corner of the futon to let heat between the layers of the bed. It was the only way I would get really warm. Even though I would dress in layers and stay close to heaters, I was always cold. Even the school I worked at didn't have central heat, so I wore gloves and a scarf whenever I was in the hallways or waiting for my classroom to warm up. I will be interested to see if it is the same at my son's kindergarten.

I learned a couple tricks back then. First being the bed trick. Second was that I needed to invest in some heating supplies. Since I knew I was only going to be there for a year, I decided not to invest and I suffered because of that decision. Even thinking back gives me chills. Third was to drink lots of tea and alcohol, as well as eat lots of soup, because it warms your insides.

Now I am older and wiser. First off, we bought curtains that are supposed to hold in the heat. Since putting them up, I've noticed a vast improvement. Second we purchased a heated carpet. It is basically a heating pad that goes underneath a soft rug. We opted for an "Eco" version that only heats up half of the carpet for 90 seconds and then the other half. This will help save money while still keeping us toasty. Third, we still wear layers. Layers are so very important. But these layers include fabrics meant to keep us warm - like HeatTech from Uniqlo.

These three things will really help keep us warm without killing our bank balance with huge heating bills. We've also strategically placed blankets around the house to be able to toss one over our shoulders if needed. And finally, I stopped at the fabric store today and picked up fabric to make a rice snake for the one door frame that has a large gap at the bottom. Keeping the cold air from an unused room out is just as important as keeping the heat it!

We decided against the kotatsu, a table with a heater installed under it with a blanket draped over it to hold in the heat, realizing that it takes up too much real estate. These are very popular in Japan and are often considered a reason for tightknit family relationships. After spending 3 months eating, watching tv, doing homework, and simply hanging out at the table together, it brings families together. Some people even sleep under their kotatsu! It's a bad habit, but a common one. We had a kotatsu in the US and will miss having it around. But the carpet serves a similar function without taking up so much space.