Edited by Melinda Antaramian
Whether you hail from a sunny tropical beach or frozen tundra, winter in Japan is a surly beast. It stalks our weak foreign flesh into classrooms and offices to nip at our extremities. It taunts us, showing us our breath in our own homes and shaking us in our beds. It laughs as our moods turn glum and sour as we turn and snap at the people around us when the only real problem is that we can’t feel our fingers. It prowls around well into spring until one day in May, we awaken in the middle of the night to throw the covers off our sweat-soaked bodies. Winter can’t be outrun or avoided. Our only choice is to stay and fight.
- Photo courtesy of Melinda Antaramian
Basic Weaponry
Space Heater—These come in all shapes and sizes. They’re easily portable, low maintenance, and odorless.
Coat—For those of us whose place of origin rarely sees snow, a heavy jacket might be our warmest clothing item. Be assured that whether you’re leaving Japan in a few months or not, a 10,000 yen coat is worth every…yen.
Tights, Heat Tech, and Long Underwear—You might feel like a Canadian lumberjack, but one can imagine that Canadian lumberjacks were toasty creatures under their flannel and beards. Uniqlo began carrying a line of undergarments of synthetic fabrics designed to retain heat, and many department stores have followed suit. From socks to undershirts and back, a layer or two of underclothes will keep old Winter at bay. Rule of thumb: two pairs of socks.
House Slippers—Buy a pair that covers your entire foot and has a thick sole. Then prance around your home with snug little piggies, reveling in how smart you are for keeping your feet away from the cold floor.
Turtlenecks—Though never quite the coolest thing you could wear, a turtleneck will protect your throat and chest when a scarf is against the dress code.
Intermediate Defensive Strategy
Kerosene Heater—They’re in nearly every school and smell like an industrial revolution. Still, they’re around because they’re inexpensive to operate while being effective. If you have one but don’t know how to use it, ask a coworker or a friend. Your pride may suffer, but your humility and comfort points will go through the roof. Plus, bonding.
Hot Carpet—If you live in a small apartment, a hot carpet could be all the heat you need. If you live in a large apartment or a house, the hot carpet will make your favorite lounging spot bearable in comparison to the rest of the space. Be careful that you do not fold your hot carpet when storing it; the coils inside might break.
Kotatsu—A staple of most Japanese houses, this heated coffee table often serves as the center of the home in winter. Put a rug, floor chair, or heated carpet underneath to protect your backside from freezing, unscrew the tabletop to drape a blanket over the kotatsu and keep the heat in, grab a bag of mikan, and settle in. In case you don’t know which of your predecessor’s linens belong on a table, kotatsu blankets are square.
Electric Blanket—What’s worse than shivering in one’s sleep? Don’t be the Little Match Girl. Get an electric blanket. Most come with a dial to adjust the temperature.
Hats and Earmuffs, Gloves and Scarves—Though an obvious choice for keeping warm, we often forgo these heat-trapping accessories because we don’t see Japanese folk sporting them en masse. Look a little closer, and you will see earmuffs here, gloves there, and even a belly warmer or two. You are not alone. Choose warmth!
Hot Water Bottle (湯たんぽ, yutanpo)—All the socks and electric blankets in the world may not be enough to prevent Old Man Winter from turning your toes to ice. A hot water bottle is one of the least expensive ways to keep your feet warm. Make sure to cover the bottle with a towel, or purchase a cover for it. Many savvy Japanese people use the warm water in the morning to wash their faces. Also, don’t throw these things in the microwave.
Advanced Hand-to-Hand Combat
Kairo—These little warmers are blessings from the heavens. Find them in convenience, grocery, and department stores, and pharmacies/chemists. Stick them on your clothes (not directly on the skin!) and shoes, use the non-stick kind for your pockets, and get 8 hours of direct heat on your gooseflesh.
Thermos—This falls into the advanced category because it must be cleaned regularly. Even if you don’t brew a boiling beverage at home every morning, use your school or office’s hot water dispenser. A thermos will keep your coffee or tea steaming long after the same liquid would have gone cold in a mug. If your transit to work involves long stretches of walking, warming your innards on the way could be the kick in the pants your day needs.
Ginger—Snacking on candied ginger can actually warm you up from the inside much in the same way that mint cools the body.
Heated Mattress Pad—If you don’t want to invest in a full hot carpet and sleep on the floor, try a less expensive pad to put under your futon.
Face Mask—Oh, the Japanese and their face masks, we chuckle. Why do they pull them down to sneeze? How will not wearing them when addressing a group help prevent illness? How nonsensical. The author asks you to consider this: a mask can trap the moisture from your lungs so that the air you inhale is not quite as dry, thereby acting as the cheapest humidifier money can buy. Moreover, it can keep your nose warm in a socially acceptable manner while preventing the formation of snotcicles.
Travel—So what if “everyone” goes to Thailand during Christmas? It’s warm! If you find yourself glum in spite of the heat bubble you’ve created for yourself, check JetStar for cheap deals, grab a friend, and head anywhere south of Kyoto. A change of scenery can do wonders for your perspective. Chuckle fondly at the Taiwanese who have bundled up for what Kyoto-ites call ii tenki, sweat outside and in over a dish of hot Cambodian curry, learn to scuba dive in the Philippines, or wander around the streets of bustling Hong Kong.
The Ganbatte Times would like to remind its readers to use caution when running heaters during the night. More than one JET has set his or her futon on fire. The GTimes also advises all readers to unplug heaters, electric blah blahs, and the like when leaving the house, both for energy and money saving purposes.
Do you have any tips for staying warm in Japanese winter? Leave them in the comments!
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Laurel is a 4th-year municipal ALT in Kameoka, Kyoto-fu and the current co-editor and "webmaster" (is that a thing?) of the Ganbatte Times. Her leisure activities include taiko, aikido, making jewelry, and general silliness.
A few more suggestions:
1. There are futon pads for winter that are not heated, but instead absorb and return your body heat all through the night. They cost only about 2000 yen. You can recognize them by looking for something that appears to be a large, quilted towel with elastic straps on the corners (for attaching it to the futon). Super cozy and often more effective than an electric alternative.
2. Bubble wrap your windows! Many (most?) of the windows in Japan are single paned. Buy some bubble wrap, cut it to fit the window, and attach with a light mist of water from a spray bottle. This will double the insulation value of your windows and can save you a couple of man each winter. The best part is that it’s reusable each winter! (Just label the bubble wrap w/ the window it fits.)
3. Hand/foot/back/chest warmers are dirt cheap and can last the entire day. These are little chemical packs that get warm when exposed to oxygen. I usually save these for exceptionally toasty days. I find that a single warmer on your chest or lower back will keep your entire body toasty all day. (Make sure not to put these directly on your skin unless you like chemical burns.)
“Don’t be the Little Match Girl.” Favorite line!