We had read before coming to Japan that some Japanese houses had little or no heating but I don’t think I was prepared for how cold the inside of a house could actually be.
Now, to give it all some background - we arrived to Japan at the end of August and I can honestly say it was so hot that I would have happily had the air conditioner on 24hrs a day. So the shock I got when the weather turned was, well let me put it this way I haven’t worn pyjamas since I was 9; I am now the proud owner of a pair of father Christmas pyjamas.
It is strange because there are still days where the temperature reaches 15/20 degrees, especially when the sun is shining, even now coming into December, however the night time temperatures can drop to minus. Which means, because of the limited heating normally in Japanese houses, the inside temperature can be a few degrees higher than the outside.
The air conditioner does have a heating function and it does warm the room it is in and some parts of the apartment but at least a third of the apartment does not benefit from this at all. And the heat does not hang around for long once the air conditioner is switched off.
After experiencing a cold night we decided that we needed to see what could be done so we looked on line and found some advice about bible wrap and weather stripping. So off went to the local DIY store and purchased some. As mentioned in the last post, both were incredible may to apply - measure, cut, line it up and stick. This has helped keep the drafts out and keep some heat in; we had already bought a ceramic fan heater (1200w) but to be honest this is only good for a small space.
So, if you are not interested in buying oil heaters or gas heaters, then electric is the way forward but I would suggest looking at ones that retain heat and not blow hot air.
Get plenty of rugs, blankets and inside clothes - tracksuit bottoms and a hoodies for inside. Oh, and don’t forget some pyjamas. The measures you can take are somewhat limited as you can not change how the place has been built or insulated and I am sure you don't want a very high electricity bill. There are plenty of blogs and websites that give you advice simple search phrases like “winter in Japan” or “heating a Japanese apartment” and so on. All of it is good and as with most things, different solutions will suit different people.
My last words of advice are fairly simple - don’t underestimate how cold the inside of your apartment can become in relation to the outside temperature (and I’ve lived in Finland for 16 years)
Now, to give it all some background - we arrived to Japan at the end of August and I can honestly say it was so hot that I would have happily had the air conditioner on 24hrs a day. So the shock I got when the weather turned was, well let me put it this way I haven’t worn pyjamas since I was 9; I am now the proud owner of a pair of father Christmas pyjamas.
It is strange because there are still days where the temperature reaches 15/20 degrees, especially when the sun is shining, even now coming into December, however the night time temperatures can drop to minus. Which means, because of the limited heating normally in Japanese houses, the inside temperature can be a few degrees higher than the outside.
The air conditioner does have a heating function and it does warm the room it is in and some parts of the apartment but at least a third of the apartment does not benefit from this at all. And the heat does not hang around for long once the air conditioner is switched off.
After experiencing a cold night we decided that we needed to see what could be done so we looked on line and found some advice about bible wrap and weather stripping. So off went to the local DIY store and purchased some. As mentioned in the last post, both were incredible may to apply - measure, cut, line it up and stick. This has helped keep the drafts out and keep some heat in; we had already bought a ceramic fan heater (1200w) but to be honest this is only good for a small space.
So, if you are not interested in buying oil heaters or gas heaters, then electric is the way forward but I would suggest looking at ones that retain heat and not blow hot air.
Get plenty of rugs, blankets and inside clothes - tracksuit bottoms and a hoodies for inside. Oh, and don’t forget some pyjamas. The measures you can take are somewhat limited as you can not change how the place has been built or insulated and I am sure you don't want a very high electricity bill. There are plenty of blogs and websites that give you advice simple search phrases like “winter in Japan” or “heating a Japanese apartment” and so on. All of it is good and as with most things, different solutions will suit different people.
My last words of advice are fairly simple - don’t underestimate how cold the inside of your apartment can become in relation to the outside temperature (and I’ve lived in Finland for 16 years)
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