Chicago announced a design competition in August to find possible solutions. One of the contest's winners took inspiration from an age-old Japanese design: the kotatsu, a special heated table.

Kotatsu, tables with a heater attached to their underside and a thick quilt sandwiched between a two-layer top, are one of the coziest ways to keep warm while relaxing at home during winter in Japan.

The most commonly used Kotatsu today is comprised of a table with a comfortable blanket or futon topped with a flat table. Attached to the table is an electric heater, which distributes heat from ...

Now, Nescafe Harajuku is giving us an even more compelling reason to go out: a pop-up kotatsu café in the building that will only be around for 17 days from November 26 to December 12.

The standard kotatsu design is a low, square-shaped table. You’re meant to sit on the floor, like you would in a classical Japanese house, and slide your feet straight in, and there’s usually only ...