Central heating is something

Central heating is something you don't think about too much unless you're an American living in Japan.

I will grant that winters don't get bitterly cold in Tokyo. Temperatures dip below freezing on the coldest nights but during the day, they hover around 40. But living in a house whose ambient temperature matches the outdoors is not too pleasant.

Knowing the Japanese penchant for "high touch" luxuries, I'd imagine that central heating would be a posh and desired feature in a home. But it's not. People heat their rooms individually with gas-powered space heaters. Every room has a gas outlet.

We have three gas heaters for our 1800 square foot house. One is secured to the wall in the dining room; another lives in our office. The third moves room to room with us. The kitchen has "floor heat," an electrical pad underneath the linoleum, and one bathroom has a small blower at floor level.

Walking into a warm room is a luxury I never imagined until I lived here.