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. . . cold air breezes through the poorly insulated homes in Japan.
Unfortunately, most Japanese homes do not have central heat, and air,
. . . because, it is a common belief (while traditional),
. . . that heating all rooms in the house is considered a waste, and
. . . in Japanese culture, waste isn’t good.
Heating only a Kotatsu, is common practice.
A kotatsu is arguably one of the most beloved, coziest invention Japan has to offer,
. . . it is a table covered with a blanket, or quilt,
. . . with a heater situated inside.
The kotatsu is used to stay warm during cold winter days, and doubles as a table.
. . . They are usually situated in the dining room or living room in front of a TV.
The purpose of a kotatsu is to:
. . . . . . snuggle underneath the blanket,
. . . . . . staying warm from the electric heater,
. . . . . . eating meals, snacks,
. . . . . . doing homework,
. . . . . . watching TV,
. . . . . . sleep, etc.
Heat coming from underneath the kotatsu,
. . . would travel inside the dress/robe, and
. . . exit out of the neck.
A British art teacher named Bernard Leach, lived in Japan, and
. . . he loved the kotatsu,
. . . but, he was too tall to really use it comfortably.
He decided to dig a hole under the table, deep as a normal chair height,
. . . so that it would be possible to sit comfortably.
This was called a Horigotatsu,
. . . the concept took off, and
. . . became widely used around restaurants in Japan.
Rather than digging a hole,
. . . some created under-floor storage around the table.
12-28-2016 Source: Horigotatsu
