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 ...

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.

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.

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.

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