Kotatsu

I've been watching more contemporary Japanese anime lately. I've become enamored with the 'Kotatsu' table--basically a coffee table with an electric heater underneath, topped by a futon (a thick blanket, not a mattress), topped again by another table top. When it's cold you plug in the heater and sit with your legs underneath while you eat. Of course, you sit on another futon or pillow, not in a chair.


We have been sitting around our coffee table the past few meals in this fashion, eating with chopsticks to slow down the meal (school teaches kids to eat too fast).


We have central heating, which is uncommon in Japan, so we don't really need the heating element, but I'm thinking the futon on the table, topped by another tabletop, would be a nice alternative to our current way of eating.


I've read over and over that it's common for people to fall asleep under their kotatsu. Multiple kids can easily do this, but adults have a harder time because of the lowness of the heating element.


kotatsu