In this five-minute digest, we look at Kotatsu: low tables with a heat source and a quilt. For generations, people have gathered around them in the cold winter months.

NAGATORO, Saitama Prefecture--A popular winter tradition here, “kotatsu-bune” boats equipped ... inside the boats are “mametan anka,” a traditional Japanese foot warmer that uses a single ...

Four passengers can sit at one kotatsu on the train ... They will also witness a local traditional event called Namomi, during which performers dressed as demons attempt to scare passengers.

But fear not, operators are offering tourists “kotatsu-bune” boats equipped with “kotatsu” leg-warming floor heaters to ward off the chill in this city famed for its network of canals.

A recent incident in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture has brought attention to the increasing number of bear encounters in ...