One of the worst things about winter in Japan is that with no central heating and a lack of insulation, the temperature inside your house feels pretty much the same as the temperature outside your house. One of the best things is taking the opportunity to snuggle up under a kotatsu, especially if you have a furry friend to join you.
A Japanese kotatsu is a table with a heater attached to the underside and a blanket or futon over the top to keep the heat in. They’re the perfect place to spend winter evenings as you can watch TV or use your computer as normal while keeping your lower body nice and warm, and many people find themselves falling asleep under them, lulled into a doze by the steady heat. And of course it’s not just humans who appreciate the toasty warmth of a kotatsu during the cold season, as evidenced by these cheeky dogs who’ve also snuggled up under them.
Safety note: Remember that there’s the possibility that your pet can burn themselves or become dehydrated under a kotatsu, so it’s best to turn it off when they get under there, and never leave them unsupervised around a hot kotatsu. A room temperature of 18-22 degrees Celsius is said to be ideal for dogs, and if your dog is stretching out on a cold floor or drinking lots of water it could be a sign that they are overheated.
Now without further ado, let’s see the different styles these dogs have for stealing the space under the kotatsu away from their owners.
The “I’m actually a person” approach.
The “if I can’t see you then you can’t see me” approach.
The “are you actually under there?” approach.
They all look so cosy! And thankfully kotatsu are usually big enough for both owner and pet to share, otherwise you know it’s the owner who would be left out in the cold!
Source: Naver Matome, Twitter, Instagram