Winter is coming and it is getting colder day by day.

In my house, we use a traditional Japanese way to keep warm during evenings when we sit and watch TV, use the computer, read etc. It is low table with an electric heater attached under and is called "KOTATSU (こたつ　炬燵)".

First we place a rug on the floor, put the table on the rug, place the special "KOTATSU quilt" over the table and finish with putting the table top back on the top of the quilt.
There are all kinds of sizes of KOTATSU, from small square ones at 60cm x 60cm to rectangle ones at 150cm x 90 cm and many variations in between... Prices too vary from 4,900 to 29,900 yen.

The rugs and quilts for KOTATSU are sold in many shops and on the internet. You can find inexpensive ones starting from about 3,980 yen for a set of "rug & quilt". Sometimes the KOTATSU table feels a bit too low, but you can buy tables that have extra leg pieces to extend the length of the legs to make the table a bit higher. They also sell special extensions for the legs. You can put wheels on your table too, it will make it higher as well and easier to move.

My son put the KOTATSU table standing on it side in front of his desk to keep warm while he was studying ...... you can use your imagination to find many different ways to use a KOTATSU ...... just make sure you don't start a fire!!! You can buy just the heater and attacht it to the table yourself, they sell just the heaters in the store as well.

If you have a low table that can't have a heater attached under you can still make a KOTATSU by using an electric carpet under the table. It will be almost as warm.

There is also KOTATSU dining tables if you prefer sitting on a chair instead of the floor, but they are of course much more expensive.