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Japan needs to sort out its winter heating priorities. First let me state that Japan (or at least Osaka) is not a cold country/city. The temperature has averaged around 8 degrees this winter season and although we had snow on the last day of the year, this was a freak occurence rather than an expected event. It is far warmer than England with it`s Northerly winds and now where near as cold as I would imagine Canada or Sweden to be. Grovelling note: Please let me say that I am grateful for the family for taking me in and I am willing to make any sacrifice regarding heat to continue enjoying being a part of this household in the future. However.

Living in the family house is like living in a Snow Fortress of the Evil Ice Queen of the North. I admit I was writing what seems like only weeks ago how I would take up to three cold showers a day to cope with the 37 degree humid heat and I didn`t wear a coat (or trousers) for three months solid. How quickly the tide turns.

Japan as a whole accepts their choice of provision of only cold running water in baths and sinks in bathrooms, toilets and restaurants. They`re not destitute and unable to pay for heated water, they choose not to have centrally heated houses. I missed the boat on that one.

“Yeah Simon. Us Japanese all decided to only have a single table heater in the centre of one room leaving all other rooms unheated whilst you were enjoying the warm running water in the bathroom. Unanimous decision Simon. You see we`re all crazy. You not coming on the boat? You not coming on the crazy boat?”

I watched “One flew over the Cuckoo`s Nest” last night in the bedroom and ice vapour was created each time I exhaled. I have had a cold for the last three weeks straight and my fingers are stiffening up with cold now as I type. It`s the way the houses are designed to be cool for the stifling summers as it`s still warmer outside now than in England where they are able to heat the houses.

This may be one of my last posts as when Reiko reads this I may not be welcome in the household anymore. Let me say this is mostly tongue in cheek before I am ejected with cries of, “If that`s how you feel move back to your own country then you ungrateful @*[*%.” Let me just say that I can accept these interesting quirks of culture and will deal with it. Certain countries just do certain things better than others. Japan`s cuisine far outshines its lacklustre counterparts in England and I am wiling to brave the cold and barren summer to continue eating it. The British on the other hand know how to heat houses.