Jewel Lock Pins

I've had these for years but haven't used them.

I bought them to pin a towel to the top of a blanket. Baba used to use what we call 'diaper pins' to attach towels to blankets.

When Big Sister and Little Brother were babies (18 and 14 years ago) we didn't use diaper pins. Diapers were held on by woolen or cotton diaper covers that had velcro fasteners.

Blanket Vests for Kids

These vests are worn in bed. These have zippers. I have seen some in catalogs that have sleeves. I guess we could call them blanket jackets. Click on the label below to see other ways we keep warm here. We usually heat only one room and we don't sleep with the heat on.

Handwarmers for Bicycles

Click on the "bicycles" label to see an example of lightweight handlebar covers for summer. Note, too, the cover for the basket.

This bike was parked outside a dress shop. The owner left her packages in the baskets. I have to admit that I took this picture early last summer. See the plant there? I was surprised to see these hand warmers out of season. She must've kept them on the bike for protection from the sun. It must've been miserable, though. It is so hot and humid in Tokyo during the summer.

Another Japanese Hot Water Bottle

Baba gave this hot water bottle to us when Big Sister was a baby. We used it to warm her bed. And later Little Brother's bed.

All of it is made of plastic.

Hot Water Bottle American -Style

It occurred to me that you may not know what an American hot water bottle looks like. My sister gave this to us when Big Sister was a baby. It is 11cm x 17 cm. It is made out of rubber. My sister made a flannel cover for it.

When I was growing up we had a big red hot water bottle. I haven't seen one in years.

Hot Water Bottle

This "hot water bottle" was at the little shop (see pictures below). See the pink string at the top of the package? It wasn't hanging, but it was attached to a string of other products.

This hot water bottle looks like an aluminum canteen. It would be filled with hot water, wrapped in a towel, and put under blankets to warm up a bed. The package says, "I Wish You Sweet Dreams".

Package

The shoe brush I bought came in this package. It looks home-made, doesn't it? See the picures below of the "little shop of everything".

Pet Warmer

This electric pad was made for pets. Its diameter is 29 cm. A cushion or rug is supposed to be placed on top. The pet should not lie or sleep directly on it.

Our dogs don't like it. Actually, they don't need it. Tokyo has sunny winters and we live on the second floor so we get lots of sun.

Table and Foot Heaters

This is a kotatsu. See the black thing under the table top and the wire hanging down? It looks like an electric table, doesn't it? That is a heating unit. This is a low table. You would have to sit on your shins or cross-legged at this table. A blanket would drape down around the sides to hold the heat. Click on the label below to see an earlier posting of the one Baba has downstairs. There are now western size tables that are kotatsu. You can sit in chairs with the blanket draped down over your lap.

However, if you don't want to replace your western dining table, you can buy one of these heating units. It sits on the floor.

Here's a smaller one to put under a desk. It's called a "foot heater".

Electric Carpets

I thought these were funny when I first came to Japan many years ago. Electric carpets! They are cosy, though. We are advised not to fall asleep on them. We should also use a cushion while sitting on them.

Here is another one. This one has the heating unit in a basic gray rug. A more attractive cover is placed on top. The temperature can be adjusted on this rug.

Here is a small one that can be put under a desk. papa had something like this when he was a student. Kids rooms are rarely heated. Actually, rooms are rarely fully heated. Space heaters are common here.

Bed and House Jackets

This type of coat is worn in bed. It is for sitting or lying in bed. Some jackets are short and made just to cover the shoulders. They are worn while sleeping because blankets don't cover shoulders and neck. Houses here are not fully heated, especially at night.

There are sales of winter pajamas and bed jackets.

This is a house jacket called hanten. It comes down to just below the hips. Some of these are really thick and quilted. The sleeves do not go all the way to the wrists. Some people wear them while sitting at a kotatsu or heater table. Here's a post about our kotatsu.

Here is another hanten.

Mikan

Throughout late fall and winter, these small net bags of oranges called mikan are in fruit shops and grocery stores. The mikan come in three sizes S,M,L. They are seedless and they have thin peel. They are about the size of tangerines but they don't taste like tangerines.

I have heard some western people translate mikan as "mandarin oranges." I have heard some western people refer to them as tangerines. But again, they do not taste like tangerines.

It is nice to sit at the kotatsu (see table heater), drink green tea, and eat mikan. Baba always has a basket of mikan. We do, too.

Many years ago, Jiji, Grandfather, showed me how to peel a mikan. He said to peel it in one piece. The mikan then has a place to sit as you eat one segment at a time. That's polite, he said. It's neater that way, too. It's also easier to throw away one piece instead of many little pieces.

Here's basically how to keep it one piece:
Choose the side opposite the navel (where the stem is) to start peeling. The navel will hold it all together. Look at the middle picture. The mikan on the right is sitting with its navel up.

Here's another post about kotatsu. Click on the label below for more ways to stay warm in Japan.

Table Heater

Tables with heating units are sold during this season. They are called kotatsu. The most common has the heater attached underneath the top of the table. Baba's heating unit is built into the floor under the table. There is also a hollow space under her table where we can put our feet. That means we don't have to sit on our shins!!!! Our house is about 7 years old. I am glad Baba and Jiji wanted this feature because it is hard to sit Japanese-style for long periods of time! It is really cosy to sit at (or under?) a kotatsu.

As you can see there is a rug with a big space cut out of the middle. There is a blanket that is placed on top of the table frame. The wooden table top is placed on top. The blanket drapes down around the laps of people siting there. In this picture it is pulled up onto the table. Baba was vacuuming when I walked into the room. I'll try to get a picture with someone sitting here.

This is the heating unit.

This is another view of the heating unit.

You can set the temperature with this.