The kotatsu, the coziest of contraptions, is composed of a table frame underneath a futon which then has a tabletop placed over it. A heater is affixed to the underbelly of the tabletop, hidden from view by the cascading fabric.
The hearth’s primary function gradually shifted from cooking to seating, and a wooden platform with a quilt placed over it was later introduced. This proto-kotatsu was known as a hori-gotatsu, translating to “ditch, fire, foot-warmer”. It is sometimes still used today.
Although its design would change in a variety of ways over the next few centuries, its most dramatic improvement wouldn’t occur until the mid-20th century, when electricity replaced coal as its fuel source.
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