Tourists Enjoy Sightseeing On Boats Equipped With Traditional Kotatsu Heaters
People in western Japan's Matsue City are having fun sightseeing on boats equipped with traditional "kotatsu" heaters.
Sightseeing boats on Matsue castle's moat are fitted with the devices around this time of the year. A kotatsu heater is a low table covered with a blanket that has a heat source underneath.
Boat operators placed coal under the tables early in the morning on Thursday. It was the first day that the "kotatsu" boats went into operation this season.
The temperature in Matsue City dropped to 7.8 degrees Celsius in the morning.
Tourists enjoyed looking at the autumn leaves, while they stayed warm in the boats.
A woman from Hyogo Prefecture said she felt nostalgic, as she once had a kotatsu that used coal. She also said the weather on Thursday was nice and the kotatsu was warm, so she felt great.
The "kotatsu" boats will operate until April 10, 2023.