first snow

In mid-November, there was the first snow in Kutchan. Unlike Frankfurt, it snows a lot here and it stays on the ground for a long time. On the first day alone, there was nearly 20 centimeters of snow. After that, the temperature dropped quickly below zero and at night it reached -10 degrees. In Germany, this would probably not be a problem, as houses are well insulated and windows are usually double glazed. In addition, you can leave the heating on all the time without worrying.

In Japan, houses are not nearly as well insulated. Normally, I would just leave the heating on, but in my apartment, I only have a gas oven. It's not an old-fashioned one with an open flame, but it's still a gas stove with flames. Since my laundry hangs directly above it to dry, I don't feel comfortable leaving the oven on when I sleep or when I'm not there.

As a result, the room cools down a lot overnight or when I'm not there for a long time. Getting up has become increasingly difficult because as soon as you uncover the blanket, you feel like the cold is literally attacking you.

However, it's a lot of fun playing in the snow with the kids, especially when it keeps snowing^^

Best regards

Janina