Kotatsu Envy

What percent of homes have a kotatsu?

Ranking of those who "dream" of having a kotatsu.

1位　沖縄 (Okinawa)　　63％

2位　北海道 (Hokkaidō)　60％

3位　東京 (Tōkyō)　　53％

4位　神奈川 (Kanagawa)　50％

5位　愛知 (Aichi)　　48％

No. 1 is easy to understand. In Okinawa, it never gets cold enough to need one. When we were shivering in freezing weather with a windchill of -4℃ a few days ago, it was about 20℃ in Naha.

No.2 Hokkaidō is interesting. Why would they long to have a kotatsu? Well, the reason is because they don’t need really them. For starters, homes and apartments in the northernmost prefecture are built for the local climate—i.e. better insulation, double-glazed windows, etc.. What’s more, heating is subsidized. (Need to fact check that.) My wife, who used to spend her winter breaks near Sapporo every year, remarked that even the room the toilet was in was always nice and toasty.

Meanwhile here in Fukuoka, I’m wearing my “longjohns”, have got the heater and electric carpet on high and I’m still cold.

As Warm as San Diego

Before I moved to Japan, I looked at a map of the world and saw that Fukuoka had the same latitude as San Diego, CA and thought: I guess I won’t be needing any sweaters or my heavy coat.

I was soooo wrong.

How to say February in Japanese

 It's February again which makes me wonder if there are any songs dedicated to the coldest month of the year. I can't think of any off the top of my head.

 This time last year an honest to god blizzard hit Fukuoka which was a lot of fun. I cancelled my class at the uni and took my sons out to Dazaifu which tends to get two to four times as much snow as we do in the city. Keep it in mind, the next time the area is hit with a snow storm.

Anyways, February, like the other months is known by a number of names in Japanese. Nigatsu (二月, "Second Month") is the most common. Kisaragi, also pronounced Jōgetsu (如月, ") is the old name for the month according to the lunar calendar, or inreki (陰暦, literally "cloudy/shadow + calendar"). The second month was also called 如月 in China, but apparently there is no connection to the kisaragi of Japan. 

There are some theories for the origin of the name. One is that in the old lunar calendar, kisaragiwas still cold--hey, it's still cold today--and people were encouraged to wear extra layers during the month. Kisaragi can also be written 衣更着, which means to put on (着) even more (更に) clothing (衣).

Another theory is that plants and trees (草木, kusagi) put forth new buds (芽が張り出す, mi-o haridasu) during the month, so the month may have been known as kusakihariduki, which when abreviated became kisaragi.

Reigetsu (麗月, "beautiful month") is another name for the second month because everything sparkles beautifully.

Umemizuki (梅見月, "plum blossom viewing month")

Hatsuhanatsuki (初花月, "first flower month")

Yukigeduki (雪消月, "snow disappears month")

Tangetsu (短月, "short month") due to the number of days in the month