Yutampo

This is my new friend, the hot water bottle that Tod gave me for Christmas. It’s called yutampo (湯湯婆) in Japanese. The three kanji mean hot water, hot water, and old woman. So fitting.

I love the old-fashioned design rendered in pressed tin. It looks like a cicada exoskeleton or a metal pastry.

Every night, Tod fills it with boiling water, zips it into a terrycloth case and slides it into the bed to warm me up. Although it seems like a sweet and loving gesture, I think he uses it to protect himself from my icy feet.

Posted by kuri at January 08, 2005 10:40 PM