WINTER
December to February are cold winter months.
There are a few snow storms, but snow is not constant. The days tend
to be clear and sunny, just very cold. The temperature may not be that
low, maybe -5 Celsius at the lowest, but 2 things make it seem colder.
One, is there can be a very cold wind that makes you feel like an ice-cube
biking to school. Two, many - perhaps all - apartments do not have central
heating. For example, I am able to see my breath in rooms where I do
not have a heater set up. The following are options for you to warm yourself
up:
1) Kerosene heaters - there are some good ones
and bad ones. Good ones have time settings, a fan, and do not give off
a kerosene smell. It is recommended to have a window cracked a bit if
you are using a kerosene heater. You can buy the kerosene from a gas
station for cheap. When you first start up your kerosene heater,
after its been sitting in the closet since last year, it is good to start
it up and shut it off in a room you do not use much or to take it outside
right after you finish with it. Some heaters are very stinky at first.
2) Air conditioners - you can buy ones that
provide both heat and AC. They can cost from about 50,000\ for an entry
level wall mounted unit, to have it installed will cost at least 20,000\
or 30,000\. Installation costs will depend on you apartment setup. They
are supposed to use a lot of electricity and usually can only heat one
or two rooms. But, it is great to just push a button to control the temperature.
3) Kotatsu - this is a low square shaped table
that has an electric heater attached to its underside. There are
special comforters that you put over the table to keep the heat in and
you sit with your legs - or body - under it. It is not recommended to
sleep under it, but I know people who did and lived.
4) Electric space heaters - can cost from 10,000\
up; some only heat a small space versus your whole room.
5) Electric blankets and carpets - A cheap blanket
can cost about 4000\ and a cheap carpet around 9000\.
We make a lot of money, so you will have to
decide what your cold tolerance is to your save money needs.
SPRING
It starts to warm up slowly in March, and you
can enjoy cherry blossoms and warm comfortable weather from April to May.
This is a nice time to travel, albeit many other people think so too.
We have Golden Week at the start of May, which is a time when just about
everyone in this country gets holidays. It is good to book ahead and
make reservations for this time. As well, if you were thinking of missing
the crowd and travelling outside of Japan it will cost you about two times
as much because so many peopleare also exodusing the country.
SUMMER
It starts to get hot and humid by June and you
are sticky sweaty hot for July and August. Rainy season is in June and
July. Typhoon season is in August and September. You will want to have
an electric fan, and you will suddenly see the purpose in carrying around
a paper fan in your backpack. Having an air conditioner, or knowing friends
who do, will also seem like a great idea. Not only are you hot and sweaty
- but everything is - this is when food spoilage, mold, and bugs can pop
into the picture. Make sure to read your expiration dates and make sure
things are refrigerated.
Even things that are refrigerated do not last
very long. Mold is a big problem in enclosed areas that do not get much
air. You can be preventative and buy - or make your own solution of one
part water to four parts alcohol - to wipe down walls and cupboards that
may be susceptible to mold.
FALL
It is a pleasant season of light sweater-wearing
days. It is a great time to sightsee and enjoy the many colors of the
fall leaves. Fall sets in around September and goes to early December.
September is a rainy season and there maybe some days off work due to typhoons
in early September. It is dangerous to go out during a typhoon, the winds
may not blow you over, but they can blow everything else around you down
and potentially these falling articles can squash you like a bug.