Ep 5 Kotatsu Japanese Podcast 1

Hello everyone Welcome to my Japanese podcast I'm Mai I hope everyone is doing well Today as soon as I woke up this morning I couldn't help but I was so cold I actually cried out "Wow it's freezing " — it was incredibly cold this morning and getting out of bed was really really tough Winter is coming ever closer isn't it Ah yes that cozy warmth inside the futon Isn't it absolutely wonderful That cozy warmth inside a futon is amazing but Japan has something just as warm if not possibly even better—something even more powerful than that as a heating essential That is a kotatsu Today I'd like to talk about the Japanese kotatsu Do you all know what a kotatsu is A kotatsu is Place a low coffee table on the floor or tami mat and there's an electric heater attached to the underside of this tabletop placed right there A special blanket used with a heating appliance known as a kotatsu blanket and this is it It's seriously dangerous—so incredibly hot Originally kotatsu are said to have begun about 600 years ago during the Muromachi period Back then Japanese people A hearth known as an irori was created by digging a square pit in the floor placing charcoal or other fuel inside and lighting a fire—this is how they used to heat their homes And it is said that placing a table on top of that and draping it with a cloth marked the beginning of the kotatsu which dates back to about 70 years ago By the 1950s electric kotatsu heaters had made their debut—yes the very same kotatsu often seen in Japanese dramas and films We had been using fire for warmth which was cozy but it was hard to manage and also carried the risk of fire But when electric kotatsu units appeared and became usable with just a single switch they quickly gained widespread popularity—right around this time It was also an era when household appliances like televisions washing machines and refrigerators became increasingly widespread Following that trend kotatsu gradually became widespread in households across Japan and it was around this time that many Japanese people began using kotatsu How popular kotatsu were can be seen from the fact that within just about ten years of electric kotatsu being introduced By the late 1960s it's said that about 80 percent of Japanese households owned a kotatsu Moreover From the 1970s through the 1980s an astonishing 90% of Japanese households had kotatsu— so much so that it's fair to say you couldn't truly talk about winter in Japan without one So why has it been so beloved all along There are several reasons and the first is simply that it's incredibly warm—truly genuinely warm It's genuinely warm and unlike other heating devices it also has the advantage of keeping the room from drying out—plus the second reason is that it’s inexpensive to run Japan has high electricity bills but surprisingly kotatsu heaters are relatively inexpensive to run earning them the reputation of being the best value When people talk about value for money they'referring to cost performance It means achieving significant results or satisfaction with little money or time therefore saying something has good value for money implies it's extremely worthwhile So why is it a good value Because the kotatsu blanket covers the entire surface it prevents heat from escaping allowing you to maintain warmth continuously with just a low energy setting That's why it's energy-saving " energy-saving" means conserving energy referring to the efficient use of energy without waste This combination of value for money and energy efficiency—these two words are frequently used in Japanese so please make sure you remember them And the third reason is That's because it becomes a natural gathering place for the family—on cold days everyone literally gathers around the kotatsu coming together as one And there we'd gather around the kotatsu chatting and sharing meals together—truly the kotatsu is quintessentially Japanese I've become a symbol of that cozy alcove even when I was young there was a kotatsu in that living room So even now just thinking about it fills me with a truly warm feeling That said as with any kotatsu there are plenty of familiar quirks and little jokes that come with it What this common occurrence means is something that frequently happens—something most people have experienced So when someone hears it they go "Oh I get it—I've been there too " which is exactly the kind of shared experience we' re talking about For instance the first one is that once you get into a kotatsu you just can't bring yourself to get out I think most Japanese people have already experienced this Yes just a little more rest that was the plan Once you get into the kotatsu it's all over—you just can 't bring yourself to get out it's that incredibly warm It's so cozy in here that if you really have to leave you need to psych yourself up with a "Alright " or "Ready set "—otherwise you just can't bring yourself to go After that you suddenly feel like you need to go to the bathroom—so you go and then when you come back you just end up crawling back into the kotatsu again That happens all the time The second one is eating mandarins endlessly — I think many Japanese people can relate to this experience — those mandarins in the kotatsu you know This duo is so iconic now that they're practically a legendary pair—so much so that you'll often see them featured in anime and dramas always cozied up inside a kotatsu I think you often see dishes piled high with mandarins Yes but when you see a mandarin sitting on the table right on top of the kotatsu you just can't help yourself I couldn't stop myself once I started eating I'd just keep going forever—same with me when I was little There were obviously so many mandarins piled up on that kotatsu that once I ate one I just kept going—two three four five and on and on I ended up eating them all and when I realized it there was a huge pile of orange peels right here which happened to be the case during New Year's when I'd bought so many oranges That kotatsu—after climbing inside and eating countless tangerines my palms ended up like this I've even had the experience of something turning an incredibly bright intense yellow The third one is when you suddenly fall asleep without realizing it Yeah that's so relatable It's really true— you didn't even plan to sleep but somehow you're already drifting off into a dreamlike state And then you suddenly realize When I wake up I sometimes say I'll take a short nap like two or three hours later and when I actually lie down that's exactly what I do It's not something you can just brush off—it happens all the time I end up falling asleep for hours And you know I think this is something that happens all the time—when you fall asleep in the kotatsu your mom always gets mad at you saying you'll catch a cold if you sleep in there Don't sleep in front of the kotatsu if you're going to sleep use the bed you know—this is another classic line you often hear from Japanese mothers You'll catch a cold if you sleep under the kotatsu Yes I've actually been told that by my mom countless times Yes well my memory of that kotatsu is this: every year around New Year's NHK broadcasts a music show called the Kōhaku Uta Gassen This show is so famous that as the year ends most Japanese people probably tune in to the Kōhaku Uta Gassen I grew up watching the Kōhaku Uta Gassen since I was little so when I'm sitting in the kotatsu like this watching the Kōhaku Uta Gassen I guess before I know it I get so sleepy I don't even realize it and then I'm just asleep like this Whenever I do Mom always says "Not so fast Mai-chan—no sleeping here you'll catch a cold if you nap in the kotatsu " It's often said that lying in a kotatsu for too long can lead to catching a cold so many Japanese people have that image in mind but it's just so comfortable that you end up falling asleep anyway Yes And the fourth one is suddenly craving ice cream It's really strange but when I'm under the kotatsu I suddenly feel like eating something cold like ice cream—though I have no idea why it's just that being warm somehow makes me crave something icy Eating ice cream inside a kotatsu is incredibly delicious so I used to do it all the time as a kid—crawling into the kotatsu just to enjoy ice cream it was absolutely amazing That's the thing—of course ice cream is delicious on a hot summer day but ice cream eaten in a cozy kotatsu during a cold winter day is truly amazing yes indeed The fifth common situation is having your kotatsu taken by your pet Yes the spot where the fiercest battle takes place is right in the middle of the kotatsu That's why cats and dogs end up claiming those prime spots leaving humans feeling utterly embarrassed That's why if a cat or dog sneaks into the middle we're just stuck with our feet like this It's warm but we keep getting pushed to the slightly colder edge and probably the pets understand this too that this spot is actually the warmest and best place here That's why when winter comes both the dog and the cat end up gathering around the kotatsu The sixth common situation is the remote control being just out of reach Yes this happens all the time I think—like when the remote is far away and you really want to grab it but can't reach Even though it's out of reach I keep trying anyway—like I'm stubbornly pushing myself to reach something I know I can't touch just because I don't want to leave the kotatsu Little by little just like this moving bit by bit then grabbing the remote control like this—I've done this so many times now I can't even count anymore That's why you gradually lose the urge to even get up from the kotatsu and before you know it everything you need keeps piling up around it just within reach That's why tissues and the remote control were always within easy reach Snacks right nearby oranges within reach—yeah it's so common things just keep piling up around you it happens all the time There are countless fun and familiar features that have made kotatsu a beloved fixture for generations but recently they've evolved even further—modern kotatsu are increasingly simple and stylish The variety of kotatsu blankets has also greatly expanded so there are now more design-focused kotatsu options available and what's really impressive is Even pet-sized kotatsu are being sold lately isn't that amazing It 's such a tiny kotatsu yet it fits right inside this little kotatsu Cats and dogs are inside it's incredibly cute yes here I'd like to introduce you to some Japanese expressions related to kotatsu The first phrase is "sleeping off in a kotatsu " which I just used a moment ago—what I mean by "sleeping off" is Even if you didn't plan to sleep you end up falling asleep without noticing—this is called "sleeping through " Another common expression is "lying around in a kotatsu " Lying around and doing nothing really means just lounging down so lying there scrolling through your phone or vaguely watching TV you know just idling Spending time like that lazily That's what we call lounging around Yes I've talked at length about the charm of the kotatsu But in reality using a kotatsu now accounts for only about 25% of heating needs as more people are turning to central heating systems like air conditioners or underfloor heating to warm their entire homes That's why I still feel a little lonely you see because a kotatsu isn't just a heating device—it's a cherished presence filled with memories and family time for Japanese people Many Japanese people still fondly remember and reminisce about the kotatsu because there were always those special moments spent together as a family around the kotatsu Gathering around the kotatsu family members would watch TV and laugh chat together and share meals—those cherished memories are what the kotatsu gave us I hope someday everyone will get a chance to visit Japan and experience a kotatsu firsthand Yes today we talked about Japanese kotatsu Thank you so much for listening to the end See you in the next podcast Bye-bye