Tokyo Weekender January 2017

TRENDS
KOTATSU COMFORTS
BEST WAY TO WARM UP IN WINTER: EAT ALL YOUR MEALS WITH LEGS CURLED UP
Compiled by Annemarie Luck
COZILY UNDER ONE OF THESE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE HEATER-AND-FUTON TABLES
AT HOME
THE STORY Although the kotatsu has
been around for centuries in Japan, the modern
form is somewhat different to the original
sunken hearth and charcoal burner. Today,
it consists of a low table that has an electric
heater fixed underneath. The contraption is
covered by a futon or quilt, which extends
over your legs as you seat yourself on the
ground around the table. It’s so cozy that pets
are bound to join in, and no-one will judge
if you fall asleep and stay put all night long.
WHAT TO EAT Nabe (hotpot) on a portable
stove. Also, if you arrive at a friend’s
kotatsu dinner party with a bag of mikan
(mandarin oranges), you’ll receive a round
of applause. We’re not entirely sure why,
but mandarins and kotatsu go together like
popcorn and movies.
WHERE TO BUY ONE We like the
brand Nakamura (nakamura-jpn.co.jp). Their
kotatsu kits are available from Rakuten for
around ¥40,000, and you can even buy the
quilts separately should you want to switch
them up every now and then. To purchase
the kit pictured above, visit tinyurl.com/
TWkotatsu-rakuten
12 | JANUARY 2017 | TOKYO WEEKENDER