How and how the Japanese warm up in the absence of heating: read the material TSN.ua
In the northern regions of Japan, located on the island of Hokkaido, there is snow, ice, frost and central heating. But most people in Japan live without it. The average temperature in winter in the central and southern regions of the country is +5 and +10 degrees, it is difficult for an ordinary Ukrainian to imagine how the Japanese do not freeze without warming up and survive the winter. And if you consider that the walls of Japanese houses are thin, you can imagine how cold it can be inside the houses: very often the temperature in the room is almost the same as the outside temperature.
The Japanese have a thousand ways to warm up. Let’s talk about the methods known to us for warming up in the cold season and the purely Japanese methods of salvation from the cold that are still unknown.
Air conditioners
Sometimes the Japanese use air conditioners, which will not let you die from the heat in the summer and protect you from the cold in the winter in the apartment. But this pleasure is quite expensive, because, as you know, air conditioning consumes a lot of electricity, which is not cheap in Japan. Therefore, most Japanese families refuse to use air conditioning.a or include it only in emergencies.
Diesel fuel, gas, kerosene and other heaters
In Japan there are many types of heaters, powered by electricity, or oil and kerosene, or gas. There are stoves surprising for us, powered by special cartridges with small wood pellets. Kerosene heaters are believed to be the cheapest way to heat up. However, all of these heaters are dangerous and should not be left unattended. The use of kerosene and oil heaters, for example, is one of the most common causes of fires during the cold season. Also, not all types of heaters manage to maintain a normal temperature in the room, some warm only if you sit next to them, almost hugging them.
Heaters in Japan
Electric carpets and blankets
The means of heating popular with us today have been known in Japan for a long time. Electric rugs and blankets plug into an electrical outlet and heat anyone in direct contact with them. Some electric mats have the function of heating only the part where you sit or stand, saving electricity.
Water heaters or yutanpo
Yutanpo is a common water heater. But unlike the rubber heating pads known to us, the yutanpo is often made of metal so that it can be heated on a gas stove.
Yutanpo heating mat
To the wheel
One of the favorite ways of the Japanese to warm up in winter is the traditional heated table – kotatsu. In the summer, a kotatsu is just an ordinary wooden table. Its only feature is a removable tabletop. In winter, the table is equipped with a heating element and a huge warm blanket is placed under the table top so that people sitting at the table can cover their lower body, knees or legs. If the blanket is large, you can hide completely.
The blanket does not let hot air from the heating elements pass outside and allows you to keep the heat inside the table. The blanket itself heats up and becomes a source of heat. That is why in many Japanese homes in winter all family members gather around the table. Kotatsu is associated in Japan not only with warmth, but also with the comfort of home and the love of loved ones.
To the wheel
Warm clothes for the house and clothes for body warming
To keep warm, the Japanese usually use a variety of clothing – from warm pajamas and bathrobes to thermal “body heaters” – turtlenecks, sweaters, leggings and underwear.
Patch by Hokkairo or simply kairo
One of the most unusual Japanese inventions for us, but the most popular and inexpensive, which can be heated not only at home, but anywhere. Cairo is a small patch that can be attached to anything.
Hokkairo’s principle is very simple. Inside a saucer there are iron filings with salt, which once opened, under the action of oxygen from the external environment, begins to release heat. One of these patches can heat up to 50-70 degrees for 8 hours. The Japanese attach dishes to clothes, put them in shoes, warm their hands, etc. However, due to the fact that the heat is released slowly, you may not notice it and get a severe burn. Therefore, you need to be very careful with these heaters – it is not recommended to stick them on a naked body, only on clothes.
Hokkairo patches
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