We never had the space, but now we do!

引越しを機に買います！

So we're going to buy our first one!

初めてのこたつです

It's going to be in our tatami room and we're going to let the kids do homework on it and play on it and stuff so...

畳の部屋で 宿題や遊ぶ時に使います

Here's to foreigners trying to buy their first Kotatsu table.

外国人のコタツ入門編です！

[Life in Japan Theme Song]

こたつについて解説します

So a Katatsu table, for all my foreign relatives and friends,

正座して使うので 低めの高さです

It's a table low to the ground—actually they have tall ones too, but most of them are low

ヒーターが付いていて 布団をかぶせて使います

It's got a heater underneath it and then you cover it with blankets

こうやって座ります

And you sit under the blankets like this

ヒーターが付いているので

Ah! You go under there and the heaters on...

冬眠しそうです

And pretty much you just hibernate all winter.

テーブルの裏側

This show the underside of the table

温度を調節できます

So there's a controller to control how much heat you have

これがヒーターです 冬が楽しみになります

And then the heater underneath which keeps everything nice and warm.

いいね

This will be really fun to try this winter.

グレーが好き

Nice looking, isn't it?

グレーというか ブルーグレーだね

Oh that one's so... oh! I like the grey with it.

絨毯を見ています

With the grey or is it blue? It's kind of blueish gray, huh?

サイズを確認します

And now for the rug that will go under it all.

迷うわね

I think we figured out what size we want.

ミニバンは 荷物を沢山積めるので便利です

I just don't know.. which one.

買い物しました

This is the nice thing about having a van — is to be able to load up the purchases and take them on back.

サラがお手伝い

Alright, we've got our purchases...

ママちゃんもいます

Sarah's going to scooter those purchases on over

パパもいます

Momma chan's got hers there,

いい感じ！

And Daddy's got his

サラ！

Oh yea. Woo whoo Sarah!

引越しと転校が 一区切りしましたが

We just moved into this apartment, and the kids entered into new schools.

変化の只中です

So many changes at once is not easy,

良かったことは 部屋が一つ増えたことです

but one of the benefits to our move is the extra room we picked up in the process

こたつに最適な 畳の部屋です

— a traditional Japanese tatami room, perfect for a Kotatsu table.

- 絨毯をひく？ - そうだね

I wonder if I should put my rug down first.

掃除するわ

Yes, definitely

OK！

Let me vacuum.

まずは絨毯！

OK!

こんな感じ

First, the rug!

いいね

I'm going to do it this way.

日本の友達から こたつは一度入ったら出れないと聞いています

Oh yea.

子供が気に入るといいです 放課後のサプライズです

So many of our Japanese friends warned us about Kotatsu, saying once you get one, you will never want to get out of it.

ベッカとアナは今日から新しい中学校なので 迎えに行くかもしれません

We think the kids will love it and will make for the perfect surprise when they get home from school today.

柔らかい絨毯

It's Becca & Anna's first day at their new junior-high school, so they might need an extra pick-me-up for when they get home.

楽しみです

Oh that rug is soft.

こたつが来た！

We hope this will do the trick.

いつから欲しかった？

Let there be Kotatsu!

ヨシコの家のコタツが 気持ち良くて

How long has it been that you've wanted a Kotatsu table? A long time...

前の家には スペースが無かったけど

My friend Yoshiko offered me one and I almost took it

今回は4LDKだから

But it just would not have fit in our house.

畳の部屋がある！

Our old house

完璧！

But now that we have a 4LDK and we have space,

買うしかない

And one of them is a tatami room even,

順序が分からない

Perfect. Perfect.

これがヒーターね

It's meant to be.

テーブルの裏

Instructions because I have no clue what I'm doing.

脚を組立てる

Oh, here's the heater part so this is the bottom.

ドライバーがいるね

Oh yep — under the table.

寒くなってきたね

I need to screw these onto the legs.

どっちを指してるのかしら

We're going to need some tools. Let me get a screwdriver.

英語の説明がある

Hard to think of using a heater on a day like today, but soon enough.

電源コード・脚ボルト・六角レンチを出す

I wonder if that says point in or point out.

OK 2番ね

Man, they could use some English instructions.

脚を水平に置く

Take the power cord, leg bolts and hexagon wrench from the packing box.

これが脚

OK, number 2.

ネジ穴をテーブルの内側に合わせる

Place your feet on a horizontal surface.

中板のネジ穴を脚のネジ穴に合わせる

These are the feet.

ボルトを上から入れて

Align the leg screw holes with the inside of the table.

六角レンチで締める

Align the screw holes in the middle plate with the screw holes on the legs.

レンチがいるね！

Insert the leg mounting bolts from the top

イケアみたいね

And tighten with a hexagonal wrench.

OK

Oh my, we're going to need a wrench!

これね！

No, it's one of those IKEA-looking things.

テーブルを脚の上に置いて

Oh, OK.

ボルトで固定

I got it!

僕は "ガールフレンド" を助けました

Ok, so we lifted the table onto the two legs,

私は "妻" よ

And now bolt. That's right.

妻でありシェフであり 掃除のプロ

I helped the wife, a.k.a. girlfriend...

洗濯に宿題の先生 何でもこなすプロよ

I am the wife.

フリーバード

I'm the wife, I'm the chef, I'm the cleaner...

フリーバード！

I'm the washer... I'm the homework maker/keeper/teacher

ブラジルで貰った

I'm a bunch of stuff.

順調だね

You're the Free Bird.

簡単

I'm a Free Bird!

ニトリの製品は イケアより組立てが簡単

That was a special gift from someone in Brazil.

ステップが少ない

So far, so good.

ネイトの番

Easy.

ルースに撮影をお願いしました

Usually Nitori products are much easier to put together than IKEA.

たまには僕が手伝う光景も記録します

They have 3 steps instead of 20.

同時に作業していると撮れません

He does work, folks.

もし家を買ったら ルースのクラフト部屋を作りたいです

Yes, I asked Ruth to videotape — videotape?! What year is this?

そうだよね？

To record me doing this so you can see that I do help too.

サラは一緒に作りたいだろうね

When it's a two-person job usually then it just doesn't get recorded.

女の子たちも

But it is Ruth who, if she could have her dream house, I think there would be a wood-working shop in it.

この上に毛布をしいて 天板で挟みます

Is that correct, Ruth? That is correct.

ヒーターをつけると 暖かくなります

Sarah would work with you in it, I'm sure.

パパの出番！

So would the girls

きつく締まってるわね

So the top piece of wood sits on top of this with the blanket sandwiched in-between it.

OK

And then a heater cranking, and you're sitting on a nice warm rug underneath!

電源オン

Make room for Daddy!

ねじ込まれてるわね

I think you did yours way tighter than I did mine.

コードを整理します

OK.

こたつ布団を出します

Plugged in.

"暖かい" ですが "もっと暖かい" もあります

Oh I think this screws into the Kotatsu table.

箱はいらないわね

A little zip-tie action happening here.

出すわよ！

Let's get the blanky, the kotatsu futon.

いいわね

We got the "warm." They have a "super warm."

そうだね

And we ain't never putting it back in this box.

こたつのサイズにあった布団です

Get it out before it's dead!

サイズが決まっています

Oh, it's beautiful!

予想以上ね！

It is pretty.

天板を置こう

And you buy it according to the size of your Kotatsu table.

どっちが表？

So they have these specific sizes for it.

布団が無い時も固定できるわね

Ooh!

いいね

It's even prettier than I remember!

携帯が鳴ってる

Wow! Let's put the board on top. Here we go.

ルースが試します

Does it matter which way? No.

最高よ

It's nice because when there's not Kotatsu on top of it, it does screw it in.

寒い日には最高ね

Yea, that is nice.

どんな感じ？

All of our phones are like [chiming sound]

子供が気に入るね

OK, Ruth's going to try it out. First time!

普通のテーブルとしても 使えるので便利です

Oh yea Baby.

簡単に外せます

When it's cold outside... this is nice.

布団を取って

Oh how cool is that?!

天板を戻し

I think the kids are going to dig this.

固定できます

And it can also be used as a normal table, so we're going to show what that is like here.

いいね

That piece just slides off,

こちら側も

The blanket pulls up,

備え付けの古い照明を 取り替えます

And then that goes down

この上です

And you can screw in the bottom part.

新しい照明

Nice.

こたつは完成しましたが 模様替えの途中で子供が帰宅しました

And this side too

おかえり

Now we are switching the big old ugly lamp for a new one that we bought

元気？

Which will go right above here.

こたつ？

This is a light.

布団は外してる

The table was done, but before we could finish the rest of the room, the girls got home from school. What would they think?

もう少し上？

Hi!

落ちてくる

How are you?

灯かない

Is that a kotatsu?

引いて

Yea but I took the Kotatsu part off for right now

- ワーオ！ - 落ちてる

You're not going to put it up higher Nate?

引っ張ったから？

It's coming down.

取付けが甘かったようです

I turned it on and nothing.

アナ 感想は？

Pull it.

畳って感じ

Whoa! But it pulls the light down.

照明も和室っぽい

It pulled the light down? Yea, it did.

パパが直したよ

Looks like Daddy didn't quite install it 100%.

麦茶を飲もう！

Well what do you think Anna cakes?

あった

It's really Tatami-ish

麦茶だね？

Even the light, don't look at the light.

和室の雰囲気が大事

Daddy got it up, Daddy fixed it.

似合ってる

I have barley tea, I'm going to get my barley tea.

いいね

Oh, it's right here.

ジョシュアとサラの反応も楽しみですが

That's barley tea in there? Yea.

その前に転校初日の感想を聞きます

OK, now I have to sit "real-ish"

ベッカ 転校初日はどう？

Oh, very proper.

どんな学校？

Very good.

大きな学校

We were looking forward to seeing how Joshua and Sarah would react to the surprise,

3階にプールがある

but before that, we wanted to hear how the first day of the new school went.

プールが3階？

Becca, how was your first day of school?

体育館は中2階

Did anything stand out?

間の階なの

Yes, our school is huge.

すごい

And there's a pool that's on the third floor

靴は大丈夫？

A pool on the third floor!

バックパックは？

And the gymnasium is on 2.5 floor.

気に入った？

Kind of — it's in-between, kind of, a floor.

ジョシュアとサラが帰宅したので サプライズの時間です

Interesting.

宿題だね！

Did your shoes fit you ok? Yea.

宿題！

Your backpacks are ok? Yea.

何？

Did you like them?

ここを開けて サラ

Soon, Joshua and Sarah were home and this time we were ready to properly reveal the surprise.

ジョシュアと一緒がいい！

Here comes the homework!

ジョシュア！

The homework crew!

3・2・1

What?

♪ 宿題をする部屋だよ ♪

You're going to have to open it up, OK Sarah?

ジョシュアはアナの場所

Wait, I want to wait for Joshua.

アナは元の場所に戻って

Joshua!

新しい学校は 徒歩5分で行ける

3, 2, 1

近くなったね

[Singing] It's a place where you do your homework... It's a place where you do your homework...

宿題の時間だよ！

No Joshua, you're right where Anna is.

こたつは冬の風物詩

Anna go back to your spot so he can sit where he's supposed to.

もう少し寒くなったら 布団とヒーターを使います

The best thing about the school is that it's only like a 5 minutes walk — to me.

おやつは冬の甘いみかんが定番です

That is so much closer

この冬 我が家の憩いの場になるのが 楽しみです

OK guys, homework time. Here we go!

＜次回予告＞

Kotatsu is a Japanese winter tradition,

秋の訪れとこたつを楽しみながら

and for the full experience we'll have to wait until it gets cold, put on the blanket and turn on the heater.

新生活が進んでいきます

And for the perfect Kotatsu snack, look no further than some winter tangerines.

日本一高所のバス停へ出掛けます

We're looking forward to incorporating this into our family culture.

日本有数の山へ登ります

Next time on Life in Japan

チャンネル登録をお忘れなく！

As Fall comes to Tokyo, we get to enjoy Kotatsu just like it was meant to be

as our family begins to settle in to our new home.

A new adventure begins as I head off with some friends to the highest bus stop in all of Japan.

From there we make a cold ascent to one of Japan's tallest peaks.

Subscribe and don't miss the next Life in Japan.