Japan-The Kotatsu

This is my first blog over Japan. What I plan to do on a weekly basis is to provide various aspects that I find interesting about its culture, people, and language. I am going to blog a little over something called a kotatsu. This is a type of table that is common in Japanese homes that does not require any chairs or seats. It is a table that is positioned very low to the ground, in which one can sit at the floor comofortably. Japanese homes usually have something called tatami mats as well, in which the kotatsu is positioned on. Think of it like carpet almost, but actually being more sanitary due to the fact that carpet holds lots of dust, dirt, and germs. These tables are like the dinner table because Japanese families usually eat together at these tables. In the winter time these tables can be equipped with blankets, and a heater, in which the heater is attached to the bottom of the table that plugs into an outlet. This is to keep the user warm, because Japanese homes usually do not have central air or heating. They use other types of heaters instead that run off of gasoline and require to be plugged into an outlet simultaneously.