The kotatsu is the name of a wonderful piece of furniture found in many Japanese homes, though perhaps more common in houses now rather than smaller city apartments. It is a square shaped low level table – almost like a large coffee table – that the family sits around using thin cushions placed on the floor as seats. The table top is removed to expose another surface with a small electric heater on its underside. A large, duvet-like blanket is placed on top of this and the table top is replaced fixing the blanket in place. The electric heater on the underside is used to warm everyone’s legs, though because this presents a significant fire-hazard, people often choose alternative ways to heat the kotatsu such as the use of an electric floor rug, the warmth from which is trapped under the blanket.
William Elliot Griffis, an American Minister, lecturer and author who worked as a teacher in Japan in the 19th century wrote an account of Japan’s history and culture in his book The Mikado’s Empire in 1876. In it he makes reference to a kotatsu in a house where he lodged saying, “I got up, entered the best room in the house, and curled up under a kotatsu”. At this point in history, the system for heating the kotatsu was a pit dug out in the floor with smoldering charcoal in the centre – not something anyone these days would want to risk curling up under.
Kotatsu in Japanese homes
But despite its dubious safety standards in the past, the kotatsu is still enjoyed in Japanese homes all over the country today and provides a pleasant social space for the family. Since Japanese houses are heated by air conditioners, installed only in the main rooms, winters are characterized by painfully cold dashes to the bathroom (thank goodness for Japanese heated toilet seats) or even worse, runs from the bathroom to the bedroom after a shower. Because of this, there really is nothing like the relief of curling up under the warm kotatsu. This is where you enjoy the evening meal with your family, everyone with legs tucked under the blanket, and once you have finished, it’s time to lie back on the floor cushions, pull the blanket up over your body and relax.
