Kotatsu: How People in Japan Survive the Harshest Winters (I’m never leaving the house again!)

One of the million reasons that Japan is living in the future and why I’m never leaving the house again! Today, we’re making our very own DIY kotatsu table with just 1000 yen ($7) to stay warm in our Japanese house!

See inside a Kotatsu restaurant (traditional kotatsu dining experience in Yamaguchi Prefecture):    • My BIGGEST Shock Since Moving to Japa...  

What is a kotatsu?
Kotatsu are a pivotal part of the Japanese lifestyle and surviving life in Japan, and one of the things that many foreigners find different in Japan, where most people rely on expensive aircon, space heaters, and kerosene heaters to heat the home. A kotatsu is a traditional Japanese heated table with a blanket, quilt, or special futon duvet sandwiched between the table frame and table top plate. Modern kotatsu use a heating element attached to the under side of the table, but traditionally, they were heated with underground coals. This is one of the most traditional ways to stay warm in winter in Japan, and once you own a kotatsu, you never want to leave the kotatsu!

Kotatsu culture is huge in Japan, and some families gather around these traditional Japanese tables to stay warm which watching TV, eating dinner, or even working from home. In winters in Japan, you can sometimes find kotatsu tables in Japanese restaurants to help customers fight off the cold! They make the perfect economical, energy-saving place to chill and keep warm during the winter months, which is why we decided to make our own budget-friendly version for our filming and work area in our traditional Japanese house! Watch this life in Japan vlog to see how to build a Japanese kotatsu heated table for under $10!

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#japan #DIY #kotatsu #lifeinjapan #japaneseculture #osharejapan #こたつ #国際夫婦
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WHO ARE OSHAREJAPAN? 🚐
Hi! We're Kiwi 🙋🏼‍♀️ and Bear 🙋🏻‍♂️. We’re a British and Japanese international couple living in Japan. We’ve spent the last 2 years touring 46 of Japan’s 47 prefectures full time in our self-converted camping car, and we make food and travel vlogs about it all to help you discover Japan like a local. We recently found out we’re expecting a baby in 2024, so we will soon be sharing bits of our lives as first time parents too!

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🎬 VLOG CHAPTERS

0:32 What is a kotatsu?
2:01 Building a DIY kotatsu table for less than $10
15:19 Finished product / Kotatsu review
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Music Track: Ikson - Walk [Official]
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