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A is a low, wooden table frame covered by a ''futon'', or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits. Underneath is a heat source, often built into the table itself. Kotatsu are used almost exclusively in Japan, although similar devices are used elsewhere. ==History== The history of the ''kotatsu'' begins in the Muromachi era during the fourteenth century.〔(kotatsu ) definition〕 Its origins begin with the Japanese cooking hearth, known as the ''irori''. Charcoal was the primary method of cooking and heating in the traditional Japanese household and was used to heat the ''irori''.〔 By the fourteenth century in Japan, a seating platform was introduced to the ''irori'' and its cooking function became separated from its seating function. On top of the wooden platform a quilt was placed, known as an ''oki'' that trapped and localized the heat of the charcoal burner. This early ancestor to the modern ''kotatsu'' was called a ''hori-gotatsu''. The word ''hori-gotatsu'' (掘り炬燵) is derived from the kanji 掘-り (hori) meaning ditch, digging, 炬 (ko) meaning torch or fire, and 燵 (tatsu) meaning foot warmer.〔 The formation of the ''hori-gotatsu'' was slightly changed in the Edo Period during the seventeenth century. These changes consisted of the floor around the ''irori'' being dug-out into the ground in a square shape. The wooden platform was placed around this, making a hearth. Then the blanket was placed on top of the platform again, where one could sit with legs underneath to stay warm.〔 The moveable ''kotatsu'' was created later, originating from the concept of ''hori-gotatsu''. This ''kotatsu'' came about with the popular use of ''tatami'' matting in Japanese homes. Instead of placing the charcoals in the ''irori'', they were placed in an earthen pot which was placed on the ''tatami'' making the ''kotatsu'' transportable.〔 This more modern style ''kotatsu'' is known as the ''oki-gotatsu''. The word ''oki-gotatsu'' (置き炬燵) is derived from the kanji 置き (oki) meaning placement, 炬 meaning torch or fire, and 燵 meaning foot warmer. In the middle of the twentieth century charcoal was replaced with electricity as a heating source. Instead of having the moveable earthen pot of charcoals beneath the ''kotatsu'', it was possible to attach an electric heating fixture directly to the frame of the ''kotatsu''. Thus, the ''kotatsu'' became completely mobile with electricity and became a common feature of Japanese homes during winter.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「kotatsu」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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