Today is November 20th.
It is warm during the day but it gets colder and colder from around 4 in the evening.
I bought some “Hokkairo” for the first time this autumn.
It is Japanese famous heat pad for hands or bodies.
It is a very useful item in winter, so I always buy it at this time of year.
The contents of the ”Hokkairo” are “iron powder”, “water”, “water retention agent” ,”activated carbon”, and “salt”.
Put these in a “non-woven bag”.
Oxygen is essential for oxidation, so the bag is made of something like non-woven fabric that allows air to pass through.
Each of the five materials in the non-woven bag has an important function.
”Hokkairo” is very useful item in Japanese winter
Do you know “Hokkairo”?
There are various types of products in Japan.
I am so impressed with the attention to detail.
Let’s introduce the normal type of “Hokkairo” first.
This product is just the right size for the palm of your hand.
My elementary school daughters carry it in their pocket to warm their cold hands at school.
They write their name on a magic marker and take it with them, warming not only their hands but also their necks, stomachs and ankles.
“Hokkairo” also has a small size product that is about half the size.
The next product I would like to introduce is a glue-on type product that you can attach to your underwear.
It is very useful product when you are tired and your stomach or intestines are not feeling well.
If you stick it around your stomach or waist, it will keep your body warm all day long.
It has also a small size product.
There are even special products that are suitable for each part of this stick-on type “Hokkairo”.
I recommend you the special product for your feet.
There is a type that sticks to the bottom of the foot under the sock and a type that sticks to the top of the toes.
It has also a long type product.
It is very warm and helpful when you have trouble with cold feet.
It is set to a lower temperature than the hot warmer that you hold in your hand, so that you can keep it at a comfortable temperature even inside your shoes.
“Hokkairo” is disposable so I use other product made from azuki beans.
This is my hot warmers(for neck and shoulders and for stomach or waist) made from azuki beans.
“Hokkairo” is disposable, and the usage time varies depending on the product, but most can be used warmly for about 8 hours.
When disposing of Hokkairo as garbage, dispose of it as non-burnable garbage.
Since Hokkairo is a disposal product, I use other products made from adzuki beans when I want to warm myself at home.
This product can be heated in the microwave and used repeatedly.
When I have menstrual pain around my uterus, I put this warm product on my uterus and below my waist to rest.
The comfortable warmth relieves the pain, and before I know it, I always fall asleep.
A hot water bottle that is used to fill with hot water is also often used by Japanese people.
Unfortunately, Japanese gyms are very cold in winter.
My daughters are on a basketball team.
The basketball practice match was held at the local gymnasium yesterday.
Most gymnasiums in Japan do not have air-conditioning equipment.
It was cold all day yesterday, and my feet were especially cold.
So, I ran to buy some “Hokkairo” for my feet to prepare for next week’s practice match.
Basketball in the summer is very hot, and it’s a crazy situation to survive with hydration and cold packs while worring about our children’s heatstroke.
In winter basketball in Japan, the children aside, the accompanying parents are cheering for their children while almost freezing in the cold.
Japanese politicians don’t spend money on children.
I’m very sorry about that.
Classrooms are only recently equipped with air conditioners, and of course special classrooms and gymnasiums do not.
There is no hot water at school and the toilet is old and dirty.
This is despite the fact that the local gymnasium is designated as an evacuation center in the event of disaster.
A country that priorities adults over children is proof that adults are mentally immature.
I sincerely hope that Japanese politicians will focus on improving society as a whole, especially the lives of children, rather than enriching their private clothes.
