Its getting cold here in Japan! The leaves are starting to change, which makes everything seem more magical.

However, there are also a lot of negatives about this season.

If you didn’t already know, most Japanese houses don’t have insulation, or central heating. Since it doesn’t get that cold, especially in places like Kyoto, where I live, keeping your house warm isn’t a priority. Also, since Japanese houses are frequently rebuilt, cutting out insulation keeps costs down.

But it sure does suck when the inside of your old Japanese house is the exact temperature as the outside!

The good news is that Japan has plenty of products to keep you warm during the short winter. And of course, while we are learning about these products, we can also learn a lot of useful Japanese.

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エアコン - The way that most people choose to heat their homes is by using their air conditioner, or エアコン. This unit, that sits high up on the wall usually has both a cooling and heating function. Of course, they are only moderately effective in even the most airtight rooms.

When talking about turning on the heating function for the air conditioner, most Japanese simply use the word 暖房（だんぼう） which means “heating.” Of course you can use this word with space heaters（ヒーター）as well.

暖房をつけてください。
だんぼう　を　つけて　ください。
Please turn on the heat.
Literally: “heating + を + turn on + please”

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こたつ - This is probably one of the coolest inventions to keep warm in the winter, and most definitely my favorite. A こたつ is a small table with a heater underneath it. The surface is removable so a blanket can be placed underneath. This creates a super warm space, kinda like when you used to tuck your blanket into the heater as a child.

なぜこたつは外国にはないのだろうか？
なぜ　こたつ　は　がいこく　に　は　ない　の　だろう　か？
Why aren’t there kotatsu in foreign countries?
Literally: “why + kotatsu + は + foreign country + に + は + not + の + だろう + か”

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カイロ - Marketed as “hot hands” in America, a カイロ is a pocket heater that is about the size of your palm. Using chemicals that react with the air to create heat, these small pouches generate heat for about 8 hours. There is a huge market for these in Japan, and they sell a lot of different types, including these ones that I bought that can go in your socks or shoes to keep your feet warm!

彼女はカイロで手を温めた。
かのじょ　は　かいろ　で　て　を　あたためた。
She warmed her hands with a pocket heater.
Literally: “she + は + pocket heater + で + hands + を + warmed”

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あったか～い - あったかい or あたたかい simply means “warm” in Japanese. The word is elongated for emphasis when it is written on vending machines that sell hot drinks. I am sure you know that in Japan, there is a vending machine on just about every corner. And when it starts to get cold, hot drinks are added to these machines. Hot coffee or tea can be perfect when you are waiting at a cold bus stop on a winter morning.

何か温かい飲み物が欲しいです
なにか　あたたかい　のみもの　が　ほしい　です。
I would like something warm to drink.
Literally: “something + warm + drink + が + want + です”

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Hopefully you get to experience some of these products if you visit Japan in the winter to keep you nice and cozy!

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This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor: