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...
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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____________________________________________________
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!
▶︎ Want to see more of our life in and around Japan? Check out our Japan Vanlife Travel Playlist: • Japan Vanlife Travel V...
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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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©OshareJapan 2024 All rights reserved
Downloading the video and secondary editing is prohibited without permission.
Music Track: Ikson - Walk [Official]
Music provided by @Ikson

[@聡平野-e8c]

節約手作り楽しいよねー♪♪♪ お金があってもこの満足感は買えない❗️

[@ジンジャーエール-f4u]

お二人を見ていれば…人生は楽しくなる！👍️💞

[@OshareJapan]

ありがとうございます！とても嬉しいです！🥹

[@ううしゅう]

発想の柔軟さがバンライフで培われましたね。あるものを有効活用して自家製こたつの完成おめでとうございます。😺

[@otasatoru695]

とにかく　身体大事にね‼️

[@elteescat]

I love kotatsu! I have one here in Ohio, USA! I got it dirt cheap on Facebook Marketplace! It was more for delivery than the cost of the actual kotatsu! I got it from a woman in Michigan! Best thing ever! She said her father bought it on a trip to Japan thirty years ago! I can't believe she gave it up!

[@OshareJapan]

Ah that's amazing! What a find!!

[@ytb9418]

お二人のキャラクターがとても楽しいので今後もずっと観続けていきたいと思います♪

[@OshareJapan]

ありがとうございます😊✨

[@dragon77411]

７０歳ですが小学生の頃に母親が幼児で外出している時に兄弟５人でいたのですが、当時は豆炭炬燵でした。長兄がもっと暖かくしようと豆炭を沢山入れたら火力が強くなりすぎて布団の火がついてそれが襖に燃え移り火事になりました。兄弟で水を洗面器に汲んできてかけたりしたが間に合わず隣家の主人が消防に通報して消防隊が家の中に入ってきました。火事は収まったのですが、家じゅうが泥と水で汚れてしまい後始末が大変でした。くれぐれも火事にはご用心。電気こたつの「電熱部」だけでも売っていますよ。

[@OshareJapan]

怖いですね！😰 電気カーペットでも気をつけます！

[@mhiroshi4102]

なるほど、これは暖かいかも。頭いい。 バンライフと違ってこういうのも面白い！

[@OshareJapan]

嬉しいです！😊　ありがとうございます！

[@bebeinjapan7434]

I love Kotatsu so much, I will probably get on in the future. Also this is flashbacks to all the wood that took over your home and building when you guys were building the van.

[@OshareJapan]

The building site 🥲😂. I feel like all Japanese homes should come installed with one!

[@yukinobuseguchi6147]

私の子供の頃のコタツは畳の下を掘る、掘りごたつで練炭を使ってましたね。コタツの中で寝て一酸化炭素中毒を起こし、死亡事故も起きる危険なものでした。😇

[@まるまる-n4c7f]

こたつ、いいよね❤足元が温かいと何とか冬を乗り切れる😅 お体を大切になさってね😊

[@--9607]

こたつを作る人初めて見ました

[@sima6615]

今晩は🙂炬燵に入ると　猫になってしまいます😺😅

[@Kimiotazunete]

可愛いい二人、上手ですね　!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ye～💖y

[@Miyachandes]

炬燵は神アイテム！

[@seraphinechee1498]

Hi Kiwi and your lovely husband.You all are so clever in diy.Take good care and keep warm during the cold winter.

[@OshareJapan]

Thank you, we will now! 🤭

[@martamarino7303]

I was clapping with you at 15:40, congrats!! It looks great :)

[@炎とカプチーノ]

ブランケット素材の寝袋をドンキホーテとかで買ってきて、中に湯たんぽ入れてテーブルはニトリのソファーサイドテーブル利用して、お一人さま用イス用コタツもどきを作る。上半身は半纏（はんてん）オススメはふとん屋さんで売っている半纏は暖かい。

[@commonsense8589]

背後の掛軸が凄そう。

[@DanielandYuka]

No Kotatsu No Life! :) ❤❤

[@ハリヤカズオ]

コタツでみかん食べて冬を乗り切りましょう

[@smilebell8381]

Great job ❤Keep Mom to be Warm ❤

[@OshareJapan]

Thank you! 😄

[@l880klovelove9]

このコタツはすごいアイデアのカタマリですね。電気カーペットの熱をコタツに溜め込む。 省エネ貢献度NO.1ですね。 キットにしたら売れそう。

[@dingdongdang3944]

サイズや使用条件によって異なりますが一般的には電気カーペットの方がこたつより消費電力が多く電気代が高くなります。 単純にこたつにした方が省エネです。

[@uncafepf]

I haven’t seen anyone make their own kotatsu. I’m wondering if it’s warm enough without a heating device. Anyway, it’s a stroke of genius.

[@OshareJapan]

Thanks! I think with a full quilted kotatsu blanket, it would be warm enough!

[@幻月-s9z]

リサイクルショップで購入した方が安いし暖房機能も高いとは思うがネタには良かった😊

[@katecobb9278]

Thanks for the fun vlog! Your creativity is amazing!

[@OshareJapan]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the chaos 😂

[@ta-kr3qd]

我が東北ではこたつに居座る人をして"こたつの運転手"と呼びます😂

[@masarut1975]

二人が楽しそうに、仲良く作ってるのが、なんかキュートで良かった🎶👍🎵 ただ…。 余計な事を云うと、リサイクルショップのこたつ。あれば 安く買えた、かも。前に、 3000円で（笑）頑張ってね、 Kiwiちゃんお腹いたわりながら…❤

[@OshareJapan]

リサイクルショップというアイディアもありましたね😅

[@DavidCruickshank]

12:53 10/10 butt slap 🤣🤣

[@シガトリノズカ]

悪魔の暖房機炬燵・・一回入ったら出れないかも・・妊婦さんは風邪に要注意ですよ🤧

[@よかやろがい]

コタツは悪魔です😆コタツに顔だけ出してゴロゴロするのがたまらん❗️コタツ亀www

[@menmentantan5591]

ヤフオクで3400円で買えるで・・（送料込み）

[@tamagochi6884]

2年間家はどうしていたんだろう？家賃を払っていた？持ち家？

[@yoshifumiT]

良くやりましたね。猫は、いないようなので、占領される心配はないし。でも､出るのが辛くならないように頑張りましょう。

[@kohpixy360]

もうちょっといいこたつ買ってあげてよ😂kiwiやんがこたつから離れられないようなやつ😅 うそうそ、DIYは良いですもんね！ あと、おそろいのどてら👘とみかんもね🍊

[@久保美記]

Hello kiwi mama & Kuma papa 👋🏻(o^^o) The imagination of making kotatsu by DIY. I was shown the "侍魂 samurai sou l" of the bear 🐻 dad's (papa) trainer. Amazing 😳😳😍 !! 😉👍🏻 If you put an aluminum sheet (insulation) under the hot carpet and use a hot water bottle in the kotatsu, it will warm up more. ( It's OK even if you don't turn on the hot carpet 🔌🙆🏻‍♀️, especially during the day) Also, I often sleep in the kotatsu😴💤 and catch a cold🤧, so please be careful. By the way, it is a hot water bottle, but it can also be substituted with a plastic bottle.(Hot is the best...) 🍢 (о´∀`о) 🫶🏻 (*´ー｀*) 🍊ほっこり

[@OshareJapan]

That's a great idea! Thank you! 🌞

[@初音未来-z9e]

コタツは1度使うとコタツムリになりますよ(*^^*)

[@OshareJapan]

完全にハマっちゃいました😬🫢

[@hidetinnhidetinn3244]

ここで、ミカンを揃えたら完璧なのに！こたつにみかんよ！

[@dcdx8966]

Why can you two literally just do ANYTHING? You make a van into a house, travel the country, (well they’ve had fun but I guess they sacrificed a family li-) NOPEEEEEE baby on the way! Kotatsu expensive oh fk it we’ll just make one… You’ve inspired me to make my own spice rack. I will 100% mess it up and it’ll be very partly your fault. Both of you.

[@OshareJapan]

I await great news of many well-season dishes to come! 😆

[@yipmabaruya1148]

Greetings from ''YIPMA BARUYA'' You Tube channel. PAPUA NEW GUINEA