IwateJET.com

Winter in Iwate can get pretty cold, and some of the local utilities (heating, water pipes, etc.) can take a little getting used to. Here’s some advice from a former 2nd Year JET as to how to adjust to the relatively harsh winters in Iwate.

How to Stay Alive During Winter in Iwate

A short quote: “I have never been this cold before in my life… when my toothpaste turned solid, my bar of soap turned into an ice cube and I found icicles in my hair the following morning after walking to school, I knew that it was gonna be one helluva winter.”

1. Clothes:
Wear ‘em, and wear a lot. Layering your clothes is wise because central heating is virtually non-existent in this part of Japan, therefore you may find yourself freezing your butt off walking to and from class, but sitting in an inferno once you reach your destination.

- thermals and silk underwear - great because they are thin enough to wear under your fancy school clothes and definitely keep you a lot warmer. You can buy these at local department stores, get them sent from home, or order them from catalogs such as LL Bean, Victoria Secret, Eddie Bauer and Freemans of London. These are just a few examples of companies that do mail order. The shipping and handling fees are not too outrageous, but it would be wise to get a group of people to get in on the ordering. The more you order the cheaper the postage.

- boots/shoes with good traction and water resistance are a good investment because you may find yourself slipping and sliding all over the place. If you wear a small enough shoe size to fit into shoes that you can buy here, you will find that department stores carry different shoes for each season and winter shoes will have built in traction. If you can’t find shoes here, again, you can order them from catalogs or find them in sporting goods shops such as Takeda Sports, Alpine Sports, ICI Sports (2nd Floor, Moss) etc. Sorrel Boots are highly recommended but expensive.

- Jackets - wear one or suffer from hypothermia.

- Hats, scarves, gloves and earmuffs - be prepared or suffer from frostbite.

- More on shopping - One of the nearest places to go shopping for larger and longer clothing is
Sendai. Sendai is 45 minutes from Morioka by shinkansen and a pretty decent place to shop for bigger sizes. There is a mall that is about 15 minutes by subway from Sendai Station that carries Eddie Bauer, Northface, LL Bean, and a really big sporting goods store. Also look for the Big and Tall Stores.

- Mail order contacts - please refer to the section Internet & Mail Order Information.

2. Water Pipes: try to prevent frozen pipes… they’re no fun.

- Temperature - you need to start turning off your water pipes so they don’t freeze when the temperature drops below zero. Check the TV weather forecasts for the next day.

The winter in Iwate can be very cold and on many nights may dip below the freezing point. Generally, if the temperature goes to –4 degrees Celsius or below the water in pipes can freeze and potentially cause the pipes to burst. In order to prevent this, you need to drain the water from your pipes when you will not be using them, such as when you go to sleep, leave the house, or go on a trip. Using the following instructions you can prevent pipes from freezing or bursting during the winter.

Method to prevent pipes from freezing:
To drain water:
1)Turn your faucets on all the way
2)Shut off the water by turning off the water completely (the valve may be located inside or outside your home)
3)Leave your faucets on even after the water has stopped flowing
4)To use your water again, open the valve all the way

※When shutting your water on or off it is important to open and close the water valve completely. If you leave the valve partially opened/closed it can lead to leaks or your pipes freezing.

※Do not forget to drain the water from pipes connected to water heaters, etc. Please consult the instruction manual for directions to drain water from pipes connected to one of these appliances.

※There are also many consumer products available to prevent your pipes from freezing. In addition, many newer apartments have these products already installed. However, on particularly cold nights it is still necessary to follow the procedures above.

How to thaw pipes should they freeze:
1)If you take no action should the pipes freeze, there is the possibility that they might burst.
2)Turn on faucets all the way
3)Remove the Styrofoam covering from the pipe
4)Turn off the water by closing the water valve completely
5)Wrapping a towel around the pipe, gently pour warm water (too hot water may cause the pipe to burst) and slowly heat the pipe

Continue heating the pipes until water flows at a normal volume. If you stop when only a small amount of water is flowing the pipes may freeze again.
If you are unable to turn the valve for your water line due to freezing, or you are unable to thaw the pipes yourself please contact the water utility company designated by your municipality for repair (it could possibly cost 30,000 yen or more).

3. Heat and Accessories:

- Kerosene heaters - if you don’t already have one, you can buy one at any appliance shop, used goods shop or from anyone one who is leaving Japan and is selling their used one (check the International Exchange Centre at Aiina for postings).
There are two types:
Regular (20,000~40,000yen) – need to open your windows every few hours to air out the toxins.
Vented (50,000~70,000yen) – has a built in tube that spits the toxins outside so that you don’t need to air out your house. However, some apartments/houses are not equipped with an outlet (hole in your wall) for this tube. A panel can be put in your window and the glass taken out or a hole knocked in the wall, but it will cost.

- Kerosene (tôyu or sekiyu) is filled into red plastic containers (these cost about 400~500yen at Homac). You can buy kerosene at local gas stations for about 800yen a container. There are also kerosene companies who will come to your house and fill your containers for a small additional charge.

- Insulation - if you have your windows and doors shut and still feel a breeze, then you have poor insulation. You can insulate your house by yourself by covering windows and doors with bubble wrap. You can also stuff newspapers between door cracks. Try curtains, carpets and heated carpets.

- Kotatsu Table - This is a Japanese godsend. You can buy one at any appliance shop for 10,000~20,000yen or you can get a used one. A kotatsu table looks like a coffee table, but has a built-in heater at the center. There is a blanket that covers the sides of the table so that you can sit on the floor with your legs beneath the table to keep snug.

- Kairo heating pads - You can buy them almost anywhere, from the grocery shop to convenience stores. These are little packs that fit into the palm of your hand or can be stuck to your back (not your bare back) to keep you warm.

4. Keeping your Sanity:

Winter can be harsh, especially if you’re not used to it. The thought of bundling up to go out can be a drag itself. But try not to let it get you down. Winter is truly a beautiful season. Everything is coated with a soft layer of snow, looking like icing on a cake (yah… once you can shovel your way out of the door to get to it). There are also few to no insects. Call up your friends to do get-togethers, go to onsens, go skiing or snowboarding, and attend winter festivities. A good one to go to is Koiwai Farm’s Snow Festival in February. Just think ‘heat’ and take good care of yourself.

5. Safety:

- Driving - be sure to drive slowly and to get snow tires.

- Pedestrians - beware of out-of-control drivers and wear good shoes to prevent slipping. If you carry a purse, you may want to carry one with a zipper on top so that your things don’t fall out if you slip and fall.

- Take very good care of your health… If you do get sick, the PA’s have a list of recommended and/or English speaking doctors they can refer you to.

Good luck and hang in there!
Karen Lee
Former ALT