A STUDY ABOUT KOTATSU USED FOR HOME IN THE EDO PERIOD

This paper collected historical materials and clarified how common people used kotatsu during the Edo period. People sat under the kirigotatsu in kneeling positions or crossed-legged positions, and the same might be true for the okigotatsu. Kotatsu was used from October to March, and there was also a custom of putting it out on Pig Day. It became so popular that “Kotatsu Kiru” and “Kotatsu Fusagu” became seasonal words. However, several books have warned that kotatsu can cause fires, and kotatsu were also heating devices that required caution in terms of fire prevention.