Surviving the Winter

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I write this at the beginning of March with the harshest of the winter season come and gone. Here in the southern part of Japan, with a latitude roughly equivalent to Atlanta, Georgia, temperatures rarely dip below freezing and snow tends to melt long before it hits the ground. If that is the case, what is the cause for complaint? The climate here is certainly milder than anything I have experienced in Boston or New York, but as it turns out, only on the outside.
There is an interesting paradox at work here. In Tamagawa, it tends to be colder indoors than outdoors. It is possible that there is a wrinkle in the space-time continuum turning reality on its head and confusing Mother Nature to no end, but that is still a working theory. Here is the true if more mundane fact of the situation. The Japanese people in their infinite wisdom don’t believe in insulating houses (too much trouble) or central heating (too much money). To combat frostbite, my house came equipped with a bunch of individual heaters, none particularly powerful, but most still manage to wreak havoc on my monthly electricity bill. The bargain basement heater is known as the kotatsu. An electric table with two blankets attached underneath, it is perfect for hanging with friends on cold nights, eating Japanese stew and watching TV while your legs get all toasty and warm. For those of us who desire warmth from head to toe, there is the kerosene heater. A quick visit to the gas station to get a tub of kerosene, and you are ready to insert instant warmth into your living quarters. Its limited power only provides heat for one room, but luckily, Japanese houses are built with sliding doors so the room can be virtually sealed off. School is little better for comfort. Each classroom has an individual heater, which is only turned on when the temperature dips below 9 degrees Celsius (about 48 degrees). I dress in four layers to go to school, assured of the fact that I will be shivering through every class if the temperature isn’t quite cold enough to turn on the heat.
What do Japanese people do to escape the fearsome cold? Why, they go to the hot springs, of course. This is one of the most highly vulcanized countries on Earth, so there is no shortage of these saunas. Even my itty-bitty town, occupied mainly by rice fields, has its own spa. The visit to the hot springs turned out to be one of the most unique cultural experiences I have had in Japan.
Not anxious to stand out on my first visit, I closely mimicked the people in front of me to determine the proper protocol. For a two-dollar fee, I received a locker key, grabbed a towel the size of the palm of my hand, and headed off to the gender-separated baths. Then I entered the changing room where you are required to strip naked, no bathing suits permitted, and I headed to the baths with only the mini towel protecting me from total exposure to complete strangers. It certainly felt strange the first time, but the Japanese didn’t bat an eye as everyone from little babies to old hunched over seniors performed the identical task.
The second rule of the hot springs is washing must be down before entering the bath; dirt or heaven forbid blood would contaminate the pristine waters. I sat down on a stool, facing a mirror, and proceed to wash my entire body with the aid of a faucet, a bucket, and a bar of soap. When I declared myself germ and dirt-free, I proceeded to the bath. The water was much hotter than I expected so I acclimated myself to the temperature by entering with the stillness and serenity of a cherry blossom, (he says pretending for a moment to be a Japanese person.) When I was fully submerged beneath the murky water from the neck down, I followed the lead of others, and rested my little towel on top of my head. The luxuriousness of the water causes you to forget the goings-on of life, both good and bad, and to slip into a momentary state of nirvana. Even when it was time to depart, feelings of serenity and peacefulness did subsist a bit longer, and I felt a little better prepared to deal with the work of work and the frigid environment it takes place in.
Now, it is onward to spring, and in Japan spring is synonymous with cherry blossoms and the ubiquitous cherry blossom viewing parties when the police pretend not to notice that copious amounts of alcohol are being drunk in public parks all around this amazing country I live in.
Next: Graduation Day (yes, in March)

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