HOW THE JAPANESE KEEP WARM

I haven't tried the kotatsu--though I will if heating costs get any higher--but I have tried the yutampo, sort of.

One winter day after I got very chilled, I went to bed and couldn't sleep. My feet had gotten wet in the snow. They were almost painfully cold and wouldn't warm up.

Our family are rock collectors, and I had a few prize rocks that I kept sitting on top of the wood stove where they were, right at that moment, quite hot.

In desperation, I decided to put a few hot rocks at the foot of the bed next to my feet--no wrappings necessary for the rocks, because I was wearing socks.

The effect is heavenly! Luxurious! My feet were warm, and shortly my whole bed was warm.

I've been hooked on this version of the yutampo ever since.

One of my daughters thought up her own version of this when she went off to college and got her first high-ceilinged, perennially cold apartment: She filled a screw-top bottle with very hot water and put it at the foot of her bed.

Neither of us had ever heard of a yutampo, by the way. We just had cold feet and grabbed something hot to put next to them in bed.

I don't know about the hot-water bottle, but hot rocks stay warm for hours.

If you ever try either version of the yutampo, you will love it--and look forward to it as a winter luxury. It warms your whole body. I think that's because the warmth on your feet warms the blood in your extremities, which then circulates throughout your body. Warmth to your feet also seems to be a natural sedative.

As someone who is familiar with living in Japan, I would like to share a somewhat different point of view. I currently live in Japan on the island of Shikoku. Shikoku`s weather is quite mild in the winter, warmer than the mid-western US. I have lived here for 4 years and I will tell you that winter in Japan sucks!

from the end of October the house starts to get uncomfortably cold and you need to start adding the layers and wearing slippers. It steadily gets colder and colder and then starts to warm up a bit towards mid-to late April. As I said, its not particularly cold, but when you are living in an unheated home you truly become aware of the temperature. The inside and outside temps are exactly the same.

In the dead of winter you are wearing long johns and a ski cap while you pile under 8 inches of blankets( and your still cold). It is absolutely rediculous!! On many occasion and particularly the first time I saw my breathe inside the house I was speechless. I am all for effciency and the environment, but that is no way to live.

Japanese homes are drafty to put it mildly. I have not lived in a home newer than 15-20 years so I cant speak of them. My house and my previous home have free flowing drafts, especially the windows. As the writer of the story and others will tell you, Japanese homes are designed for the heat and humidity of summer. These homes are very uncomfortable in the summer!!!
There is basically nothing that is effective against heat and humidity, aside from air conditioning. So for the most part you are not spared the discomfort that the weather brings at any time of the year. But I will say that they are often attractive.

I could also let you know that moldy tatami mats can repeatedly ruin your day.

So I`m not trying to knock the authors opinion or even suggest rose colored glasses as the basis for her story. I just want to let you know another POV before you hop on over and expect that the futon, kotatsu and ofu

i'm not gonnz lie. this is really interesting. I especialy took
intrest in the part pertaining to the yutampo. It sound really
nice. I think i wanna move to japan!