TOKYO >> Contemporary lifestyles in Japan are reflected in new types of kotatsu, traditional tables with internal heating that are often draped with a futon (quilt) to retain warmth. Popular choices ...

I'll never forget my first winter in Japan when I heard that some Japanese people sleep under the kotatsu. The kotatsu, as you may know, is a small table with a heating element under it and a quilt ...

Modern kotatsu are electric, but in the past they were heated with coals burned in a brazier, and the boar-water correlation was believed to ward off fires. It was customary on the day to enjoy ...

NAGATORO, Saitama Prefecture--A popular winter tradition here, “kotatsu-bune” boats equipped with kotatsu leg-warming floor heaters offer a warm respite from the winter chill. The rides are operated ...

The glorious kotatsu is a beautiful aspect of Japanese culture. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a low table with a built-in heater under it. By wedging a blanket between the top and bottom table ...

You'll never need to leave your bed again with this Japanese innovation. It combines your bed, lounge seating and table into one incredibly cosy piece of furniture. The kotatsu is a table with an ...

MORIOKA -- A train equipped with "kotatsu" heated tables has begun operating this season on a rail line running along the coast of the northeastern Japan prefecture of Iwate. The Kotatsu Train, a ...

I often tell people that the two best inventions in the history of humankind are: 1. GPS, and 2. The Japanese kotatsu heated table. For anyone who lives in a place that gets chilly during part of the ...

YANAGAWA, Fukuoka Prefecture--Taking a boat ride in the depths of winter may be the furthest thing from most people’s minds. But fear not, operators are offering tourists “kotatsu-bune” boats equipped ...