Surviving the Japanese Winter

First off, let me say that as a native Winnipegger, I'm not finding the "winter" weather so harsh that surviving is difficult. But the Japanese have their own way of battling the elements that is completely different than our own North American ways, which is why I've decided that is worthy of being mentioned.

How different, you ask? For starters, Japanese buildings aren't insulated. Insulation is something very new to Japan. If you live in a building that has been built in the couple of years, you have a high chance in being in a rare insulated building, but even then, it might not be as insulated as a western building. While you may be fortunate enough to have insulation, you still won't have central heating. During my adventures around Japan, I've noticed that only places of business seem to have any kind of ventilated heating system.

The really bad thing about the lack of these two familiar things is that when it's cold outside, it's cold inside. Yeah, 10ºC may not be cold, but when you're constantly surrounded by it, it gets pretty uncomfortable. This is especially true of my jr high school which doesn't have closed in hallways, so when you open a door, you're outside again. There's very little protection from the elements.

See? It's pretty crazy, right? But do not give up hope, reader! There are few simple ways to stay warm.

Blankets: The easiest way to stay warm is, of course, to wrap yourself up in a blanket. And I don't just mean at home. It seems to be a perfectly, socially acceptable to wrap your legs in a blanket at work. Almost every teacher at my school has a blanket draped over their chair. The women's blankets are predominantly designed with some sort of cartoon character, while the men's are a simple design along the lines of stripes or polka-dots. Mine is purple with black cartoon cats on it.

Hand warmers: I've only ever seen hand warmers in the movies, and even then, never in a Canadian movie. Hand warmers are little packets that magically warm up and keep you warm you up when you hold onto one. They're very popular and inexpensive. You can buy a box of 30 for about ¥500 ($5).


Electric Space heaters: Space heaters in Japan vary more than anything else in Japan. They come in various shapes, sizes, power levels and even power sources. You can choose a kerosene/electric hybrid, or just an electric heater. You can buy a large one that resembles a radiator or a tiny round one that fits on your table. Japanese air conditioners also come with a heating function, but they use a lot of energy and it takes a long time for the whole room to fill with warmth. The down side to these heaters is that they are very drying. To counter this, some of the more extravagant ones come with a humidifier option.

Kerosene Space Heaters: These space heaters seem to be very popular in Japan. I've not only seen them in homes, but all of my schools have one, and there's one in every classroom. Why they're so popular is a bit of a mystery to me. They don't seem very convenient, but they do heat up a room quite quickly. A kerosene heater needs to be plugged in order to turn on, but needs kerosene in order to run. The heater starts a fire and keeps burning until you turn it off, or it runs out of gas. Of course, it running out of gas means that you'll have to take a trip to the gas station to get some more. Another downside to the kerosene heater is that it can't be equipped with a humidifier, like its electric rival. Instead, it is common to see a large metal pot or metal kettle placed on top of the heater to allow a small amount of steam to be added to the room. While they do their job very well, I'll never buy one for my place. Not only is it inconvenient, but they are so very dangerous (c'mon, it's a caged fire!) and the smell of burning kerosene is not a pleasant one.

Kotatsu: Ah, the kotatsu. One of Japan's neatest inventions. When asking around if I should buy a space heater or a kotatsu, everyone agreed that a space heater is more practical, but that kotatsu are much more comfortable. A kotatsu is a table with a heater built into the underside of the table top. You place a blanket or rug on the floor and then place the kotatsu over that. The top of the table is removable and you place a large, thick blanket under the table top so it drapes over the edge and onto the floor. Then you turn it on and get all cozy under the blanket. It's easy to see why it's not very practical. The heat only stays under the table making it very hard to muster up the will power to leave.

Mini-kotatsu: I don't think the Japanese refer to them as mini-kotatsu, but I know that these little pink boxes are referred to as a kotatsu, so I'm using mini to just help distinguish between the two. Anyways, a mini-kotatsu is a little heater for your bed. You place it under your sheets, plug it in, turn it on, and enjoy the electric warmth.


Hot water bottles: When I say hot water bottles, you probably get an image of a soft rubber bottle that you apply to your body when you're not feeling well. The Japanese version is quite different from that. It is made of a very hard plastic that is shaped much like the mini-kotatsu, and like the mini-kotatsu, it is used to keep your bed warm. I don't know how well this item works, having never tried it. I'm still trying to figure out if it stays warm all night, or if it just makes your bed uncomfortable when the water finally goes cold.

And there you have it, 7 easy ways to stay warm in Japan. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to curl up under my kotatsu and hibernate till spring arrives.