Beware the Kotatsu snails!
Japanese houses are cold since most of the regions in the country do not have central heating. To stay warm many people keep warm with a heater or the popular kotatsu. Chances are you have seen one in a Japanese movie or an anime!
Kotatsu, low (knee-high) tables designed to sit on traditional tatami floors. A thick quilt covers them and they have a heater underneath. This interesting Japanese furniture has been around since the 14th century. The more traditional ones use a coal pit that is built into the floor, but modern Kotatsu has an electric heater that is built under the tabletop.
It is often the heart of a household. Family and friends will sit around them and eat their meals, or socialise with drinks or watch television together while enjoying its warmth. You will find them in Japanese-style restaurants and at Ryokan.
There is a type of person that gets into a kotatsu and you only see their heads outside it. They use a computer, read books or watch TV under it. They look like snails and have been named ‘Kotatsu muri’ or a Kotatsu snail. These creatures are lazy, slow and inactive, they are kotatsu-addicts, handle them with care! Be careful, you yourself can turn into one; the power of kotatsu is strong… Your cat and your husband, your wife and son and daughter, no-one is safe….
In this video, we see a group of kids playing around a Kotatsu to keep warm. Please follow our link: http://bit.ly/Kotatsu-and-Kids
There is a time old saying that if you are looking for your cat, you will find it in the warmest and most comfortable spot at your house. Here is a peak under a Kotatsu where a few cats are hiding from the winter cold. Please follow this link: http://bit.ly/Neko-Kotatsu
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