Baby it's COLD outside

… but its much colder inside! Our brief bout of spring-like weather has disappeared and we are back to -1. It can feel a few degrees colder inside as most Japanese homes aren't equipped with central heating. Not only is central heating a rarity but insulation and double glazing are both pretty rare too!

I'm told that the reason is partly due to the extreme humidity Japan experiences in the summer months. Homes were traditionally built of thin materials (i.e. materials that allowed air to flow freely between indoors and out) in order to prevent homes from literally rotting away due to all the extra moisture in the air. Great in the summer perhaps but not so good in the winter….

Winter bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail.
Montenegrin Proverb