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Chilly as winter may get in Japan, we’ve got to admit there are some cool things about the coldest part of the year. For example, the Christmas decorations around Tokyo are amazing, and even if you’re not feeling up to braving the cold weather, Japan offers a couple of ways to make winter more bearable even if you’re staying indoors. High on the list are mikan, the mandarin oranges that’re at their tastiest in winter, and kotatsu, the blanket-covered, heater-equipped tables that’re so cozy it’s almost impossible to pull yourself out of one once you get situated comfortably.

Don’t take our word for it, though, as these adorable cats lounging though a Japanese winter serve as far better spokescreatures for mikan and kotatsu than we ever could.

YouTube uploader Shironekoshiro’s screen name translates to “White Cat White.” Honestly, it seems like Nekoshironeko (“Cat White Cat”) would have been the more appropriate choice, seeing as how Shironekoshiro apparently owns multiple white felines. We’ll let the questionable nomenclature slide, though, in light of his cool wintertime kitty videos.

Like we said, mikan are in season now. They’re usually sold in bags though, so where do you store them in a small Japanese home, especially if you’re sharing living space with roughly a half-dozen cats?

Simple: on top of said cats.

Displaying a level of calm similar to the eerie cat birthday party/séance we talked about recently, three of Shironekoshiro’s pets serve as a soft yet steady foundation for a mikan pyramid. Just like full-sized oranges, though, mikan skins aren’t edible. Japanese homes don’t have garbage disposals, though, so tossing them down the sink and cutting them up to give the kitchen a refreshing citrusy smell isn’t an option. Still, just throwing the skins in the trash is kind of a waste, when you can instead make them into feline fashion.

▼ Combine these with some apple sleeve collars, and your kitties will be sitting pretty.

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Once snack time is over, it’s back into the kotatsu for some extra-warm rest and relaxation. But while we humans have to be content with just sticking our legs under the table, for cats, it’s essentially a spacious sauna.

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Shironekoshiro’s pets are so pleased with their accommodations it looks like they’re ready to make the kotatsu their permanent home, as shown in this extra-long video of them sprawled out and grooming one another as they purr in delight.

▼ The soft lighting does sort of make us feel like we’re intruding on their privacy, though.

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Now all those cats need is a whack-a-mole setup, and they’ll be set until spring.

Source: Hamster Sokuho
Top image: YouTube
Insert images: YouTube (2, 3, 4)