Five things I like to do in Japanese winter

1) Put off morning showers

Being in the shower is okay. Being not in the shower is okay. But it's getting to the point in our increasingly chilly flat when the in-between stages - the wasteland between in-shower and having-had-a-shower - are unquestionably the worst part of any day. Piles of thermal vests, jumpers, blankets and furry pyjamas are strategically placed at the bathroom door, piles that I can dive straight into at the end of the shower in order to minimise wet-and-cold-time. Speaking of:

2) Blankets

Wandering around the flat huddled in a blanket-cape and moaning softly like a lost ghost is one of my favourite winter staples. One blanket for each of us is the usual. Two blankets is a selfish luxury reserved for when only one person is in the flat. The first person to gift us two more blankets will get a lot of hugs.

3) Cafés

Why pay for heating when there are buildings that let you be warm for free?

I think you can measure exactly how cold it is by the pinched-skull expression on my face.

A cool thing about the region I live in is the local tradition of "morning service", which is neither a religious thing nor a sexual thing but instead a special deal offered by cafés where you get free toast and a boiled egg if you buy coffee around breakfast-time. Unfortunately winter mornings do not entice me to go out, or indeed do anything much at the moment (see #1 and #2), so I haven't gone for morning service in a while. Instead I like to loiter in cafés in the evenings reading Discworld novels and trying out odd teas whilst secretly regretting not getting hot chocolate instead.

I also like to get cinnamon toast with honey, like the one pictured above. Bread in Japan comes in ridiculously thick slices which are impractical for anything savoury, but work perfectly to balance out sweet foods. Winter is a bastard for making me a reluctant convert to Massive Bread.

4) Leaving half-empty teacups around the house

Drink half a cup of tea in the morning before rushing out the door, leave it on the side. Drink some tea in the bedroom to try and warm up before the uncomfortable move to the living room, leave it on the side. Drink some tea, forget about it, discover it again when it's gone cold, leave it in the sink. Cups cups cups, a traditional winter decoration. Teabag still in to make it look extra-homemade.

5) Fucking everything off

Chores? Nah. Exercise? Nah. Day-trips? Nah.

Nah.