History Main / Kotatsu

* ''Manga/SgtFrog'' in one manga chapter. (Fuyuki and Natsumi. Guess who has to go get the snacks?) Meanwhile, Keroro attempts to convince them to come out from under it so they can take him to the store to buy Gundam models.

* As a young girl, Tsukimi from ''Manga/{{Kuragehime}}'' used to fall asleep curled up under a kotatsu blanket after being fed a good meal by her mother.

* [[EraSpecificPersonality Some incarnations]] of Dian from ''Franchise/{{Jewelpet}}'' give him an odd obsession with kotatsus. This is justified in the first series because he was stuck in an ice prison for a long time.

[[quoteright:350:[[HidamariSketch http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hidamari_sketch_kotatsu.jpg]]]]

* ''Anime/{{Colorful}}'' spices up the standard ecchi fare in one episode by having the lecherous male get his just desserts while trying to devour the tasty view.

* ''Manga/LoveHina'' Keitaro, Naru and Mutsumi frequently study at a Kotatsu together.

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' has the SliceOfLife use.

* ''Manga/LoveHina'' uses the ecchi version a few times (and the non-ecchi).

Kotatsu usually show up in SliceOfLife moments, with a (generally female) group of friends sitting around one, murmuring about how warm and comfortable it is, rambling on about their lives, napping, and every single one complaining that someone else should go get some snacks. Often prime SleepCute territory.

They are also a useful vehicle for NaughtyUnderTheTable, often a boy and a girl doing homework or studying for exams together. Important naughty parts are under there, so when a pen or some other minor item gets dropped under ''the huge honking comforter nothing should be able to get under by accident'', it is inevitably the guy's duty to look under there, [[PantyShot stare at panties]], [[HandInTheHole reach around trying to find the item]], find something soft... and let ecchiness ensue.

* Seen at the Furukawas' in ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}''. One also features when Nagisa and Tomoya's friends visit them for New Years' in ''~After Story''.

* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' has the Slice of Life use.

* ''Manga/{{Minami-ke}}'' devotes considerable time to kotatsu antics and also had an episode or two involving oranges in one of those scenes.

* ''LoveHina'' uses the ecchi version a few times (and the non-ecchi).
* ''{{Negima}}'' has the Slice of Life use.

* ''KeroroGunsou'' in one manga chapter. (Fuyuki and Natsumi. Guess who has to go get the snacks?) Meanwhile, Keroro attempts to convince them to come out from under it so they can take him to the store to buy Gundam models.

* ''LuckyStar'' episode 13 has an extended SeinfeldianConversation about kotatsus.
* ''IchigoMashimaro'', of course, has the Slice of Life version a couple of times. In one episode picture, Miu and Matsuri share the space underneath.
* ''{{Minami-ke}}'' devotes considerable time to kotatsu antics and also had an episode or two involving oranges in one of those scenes.

* ''CrossGame'': On New Year's Day, Kou and Aoba both fall asleep under the kotatsu leading to a SleepCute situation. Heartwarming since they are [[BelligerentSexualTension normally fighting with each other]].
* ''HidamariSketch'' has the Slice of Life use, natch.
* In ''UruseiYatsura'', Kotatsu Neko is the ghost of a cat that froze to death, so its spirit is now attracted to heater tables.

* In ''{{Watashi No Ookami-san}}'', the BigBad EvilOverlord Subaru... spends his days under the kotatsu sleeping or watching television. (When he isn't attempting lay Komomo on top of it...)
* The Kotatsu table proves to be the bane of Chiaki's existence in ''NodameCantabile''. '''IT TURNS PEOPLE INTO LAZY SLOBS!''' He has Nodame to thank for introducing it to him, and almost ruining his life there and then. When he finally gets the chance to clean up his apartment and throw the table away, Nodame takes it from the trash and [[CrowningMomentOfFunny mentions how someone threw out a perfectly good Kotatsu.]] Chiaki was less than thrilled about it.
* Yui from ''KOn'' is practically ''addicted'' to the kotatsu, which isn't helped by her sister's pampering.
* Tamaki from ''OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' has an obsession with them particularly when he first came to Japan. Probably because they symbolize the kind of close, warm family life he so desperately wants.

* In ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'', there are occasional scenes of Nozomu at home, typically with his nephew, Majiru and students [[StalkerWithACrush Matoi]] and [[{{hikikomori}} Kiri]] who live there as well, and in such scenes, he's often lying under a kotatsu.
* In ''{{Kamichu}}'', Yurie spends an entire episode sitting, lying, sleeping, and even using the phone under the family kotatsu. Her solutions to avoid leaving it are at times rather creative.
* ''{{Colorful}}'' spices up the standard ecchi fare in one episode by having the lecherous male get his just desserts while trying to devour the tasty view.
* In ''AxisPowersHetalia'' the members of the Axis gather around a kotatsu to sign the Tripartite Pact. It even pays homage to the page image.

* In ''{{Rin-ne}}'', Ageha the Shinigami (who has a crush on the titular character) buys one of these for 100,000 yen, duped into thinking it's a "friendly square" that generates an intimate space with anyone. Instead of getting her closer to Rinne the way she wanted though, in the end it brings the main cast closer together.

* As a young girl, Tsukimi from ''PrincessJellyfish'' used to fall asleep curled up under a kotatsu blanket after being fed a good meal by her mother.

''Mikan'' (known as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikan satsuma]] in the west) are a variety of mandarin orange that are in season during the winter. Oranges are considered to have a lot of nutrients important for getting through the cold season, so it is common to see a bowl of them on the table. For many Japanese, a kotatsu holding a bowl of tangerines is ''the'' archetypal symbol of winter.

''Mikan'' (known as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangerine tangerines]] in the west) are a variety of mandarin orange that are in season during the winter. Oranges are considered to have a lot of nutrients important for getting through the cold season, so it is common to see a bowl of them on the table. For many Japanese, a kotatsu holding a bowl of tangerines is ''the'' archetypal symbol of winter.

''Mikan'' (known as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_(fruit) satsumas]] in the west) are a variety of mandarin orange that are in season during the winter. Oranges are considered to have a lot of nutrients important for getting through the cold season, so it is common to see a bowl of them on the table. For many Japanese, a kotatsu holding a bowl of tangerines is ''the'' archetypal symbol of winter.

Kotatsu usually show up in SliceOfLife moments, with a (generally female) group of friends sitting around one, murmuring about how warm and comfortable it is, rambling on about their lives, napping, and every single one complaining that someone else should go get some snacks. Often prime SleepCute and CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming territory.

** In one episode, Keroro sees Fuyuki sleeping with his head sticking out of a kotatsu and immediately does a double-take, imagining Fuyuki as the [[http://ghostlightning.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/rx-781-gp03-dendrobrium-orchis.jpg GP-03 Dendrobium Orchis]] from ''MobileSuitGundam0083''.

* In ''{{Rin-ne}}'', Ageha the Shinigami (who has a crush on the titular character) buys one of these for 100,000 yen, duped into thinking it's a "friendly square" that generates an intimate space with anyone. Instead of getting her closer to Rinne the way she wanted though, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming in the end it brings the main cast closer together.]]

* ''{{Persona}} 4'' includes kotatsu scenes in the later parts of the game. Nanako wants one, and the party eventually gets one for her. [[spoiler:The day they go to get it (after she's been kidnapped, rescued, and hospitalized) is the day Adachi calls you to tell you her condition took a turn for the worse.]]

* In {{Rin-ne}}, Ageha the Shinigami (who has a crush on the titular character) buys one of these for 100,000 yen, duped into thinking it's a "friendly square" that generates an intimate space with anyone. Instead of getting her closer to Rinne the way she wanted though, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming in the end it brings the main cast closer together.]]

* Since ''[[Manga/{{Gintama}} Gintama's]]'' animation team likes to pull out the New Years footage for gags, we see the kotatsu + tangerines + dirty dvd cover combination fairly often.

[[caption-width-right:350:''HidamariSketch'' shows us how to properly sit ([[SleepCute or lie]]) under a kotatsu.]]

''Mikan'' (known as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satsuma_(fruit) satsuma]] in the west) are a variety of mandarin orange that are in season during the winter. Oranges are considered to have a lot of nutrients important for getting through the cold season, so it is common to see a bowl of them on the table. For many Japanese, a kotatsu holding a bowl of tangerines is ''the'' archetypal symbol of winter.

Kotatsus tend to show up in two situations:
* SliceOfLife will have a (usually female) group of friends sitting around a kotatsu, murmuring about how warm and comfortable it is, rambling on about their lives, napping, and every single one complaining that someone else should go get some snacks. Often prime SleepCute and CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming territory.
* [=Ecchi=]/{{Hentai}} will almost always have a boy and a girl doing homework or studying for exams together. Important naughty bits are under that table, so when a pen or some other minor item gets dropped under ''the huge honking comforter nothing should be able to get under by accident'', it is inevitably the guy's duty to look under there, [[PantyShot stare at panties]], [[HandInTheHole reach around trying to find the item]], find something soft... and let ecchiness ensue.

[[caption-width-right:350:''HidamariSketch'' shows us how to properly sit (or lie) under a kotatsu.]]

[[caption-width-right:350:''HidamariSketch'' shows us how it's done.]]

* Yui from ''[=~K-On!~=]'' is practically ''addicted'' to the kotatsu, which isn't helped by her sister's pampering.

* ''AzumangaDaioh'' has Osaka falling asleep under a kotatsu while at Chiyo's house and having a weird DreamSequence. When they leave, she [[CloudCuckooLander bids it farewell]] and reminisces about it on the way home...

* As a young girl, Tsukimi from ''Princess Jellyfish'' used to fall asleep curled up under a kotatsu blanket after being fed a good meal by her mother.

* Since ''[[{{Gintama}} Gintama's]]'' animation team likes to pull out the New Years footage for gags, we see the kotatsu + tangerines + dirty dvd cover combination fairly often.