Kotatsu tables in Japan: 5 square picks for one room, from ¥13,499

Kotatsu in Japan: five 75 or 80 cm squares, 110 to 180 Wh an hour
Four come with a futon; the flat-heater 75 cm model does not
Height: fixed at 38.5 cm on one, four settings (38 to 65 cm) on another

The five

Best for	Where to get it	Score	Table plus quilt, incl. tax (guide)
An 80 cm square for two, about ¥3.5 an hour on high, at 36 or 41 cm — if you can’t decide	Yamazen furniture-style kotatsu, 80 × 80 cm, with leg extenders (GKR-803H, futon set) See price	90/100	¥17,999 (with futon)
A flat heater that stays out of your feet’s way; it arrives assembled and the legs fold	Tansu no Gen flat-heater kotatsu with folding legs, 75 × 75 cm See price	84/100	¥23,998 (table and quilt)
Quilt and base futon both included — for a cold floor	Tansu no Gen 600 W halogen kotatsu, 80 × 80 cm, three-piece set with quilt and base futon See price	82/100	¥21,999 (three-piece set)
The cheapest of the eight with the futon, and over 2,000 Rakuten reviews	Yamazen casual kotatsu, 75 × 75 cm (SEU-752, futon set) See price	78/100	¥13,499 (with futon)
Four heights from 38 to 65 cm — floor, sofa or dining chair	Yamazen Pitadaka kotatsu with four heights, 80 × 80 cm (GEXN-F801H4N, futon set) See price	76/100	¥34,999 (with futon)

These are sold on Rakuten Ichiba, which generally ships within Japan only, and they run on Japanese mains power (100V, 50/60Hz). They suit a home in Japan rather than a suitcase.

An 80 cm square for two, about ¥3.5 an hour on high, at 36 or 41 cm

Yamazen furniture-style kotatsu, 80 × 80 cm, with leg extenders (GKR-803H, futon set)

Heater is the NCH-302, two 150 W quartz tubes
About ¥3.5 an hour on high at ¥31 per kWh, ¥521 a month at five hours a day
Natural wood legs; sold alone or with a 185 × 185 cm quilt

See today’s price on Rakuten→

Why it made the five

80 × 80 cm, so two people can get their legs under it
About 112 Wh an hour on high (maker’s figure)
Two heights with the extenders, 36 cm and 41 cm, and a UV-coated top
Right for: Two people sharing it, or keeping both the electricity bill and the futon-included price down.
Not for: Fine-tuning the temperature without getting up — it has an in-line switch on the cord, not a hand controller.
Worth knowing: It needs assembling (fitting the legs). The official Rakuten shop’s price is a limited-time price, until 9:59 on 28 October 2026, and may change afterwards. The whitewash colour comes with the MS-303H heater instead (about 160 Wh on high, about ¥5 an hour).

Score breakdown — 90/100

Criterion	Stars	Why
Quality	★★★★★	An 80 × 80 cm top adds one and a UV-coated top (fibreboard, urethane finish) adds one: five. Natural-wood legs and a cord-storage box (maker)
Value for money	★★★★★	¥17,999 with the futon earns four. About 112 Wh × ¥31 = about ¥3.5 an hour on high; 16.8 kWh × ¥31 = about ¥521 a month, under ¥600, adds one. On low, about 48 Wh × 150 hours = 7.2 kWh × ¥31 = about ¥223 a month
Easy to live with	★★★★☆	Leg extenders give two heights (36/41 cm): one point. An in-line on/off switch rather than a hand controller, and no timer listed, so nothing more
Trust	★★★★★	224 reviews averaging 4.38 across three Yamazen listings found by searching the product name on Rakuten (199 at 4.38 in the official Kurashi no e-Shop, among others). 100 or more at 4.3 or above earns five
Only here	★★★☆☆	About 112 Wh on high is low for a quartz-tube heater, but other Yamazen models use the same NCH-302, so nothing belongs to it alone — no points

A flat heater that stays out of your feet’s way; it arrives assembled and the legs fold

Tansu no Gen flat-heater kotatsu with folding legs, 75 × 75 cm

A flat carbon panel heater (Metro Electric MCR-200E); about 50 Wh an hour on low
About ¥3.4 an hour on high, ¥512 a month at five hours a day
Arrives fully assembled; folded legs let it stand against a wall in summer

See today’s price on Rakuten→

Why it made the five

A flat heater, so your feet do not knock against it
About 110 Wh an hour on high
Stepless temperature on a hand controller, and legs that fold
Right for: Stretching your legs out alone, and skipping the assembly and the packing away.
Not for: Two people wanting room (it is a 75 cm square), or changing the height to use it as a low table the rest of the time.
Worth knowing: The futon is sold separately — the price adds the same shop’s 185 × 185 cm quilt. The top takes about 20 kg. The seller’s own running-cost figures are calculated at ¥27 per kWh.

Score breakdown — 84/100

Criterion	Stars	Why
Quality	★★★★☆	A flat carbon panel heater adds one: four. The top is 75 × 75 cm, and top and legs are PVC-sheet wrapped with no UV coating listed, so no more. A reversible top and non-slip pads
Value for money	★★★★☆	¥17,999 for the table + ¥5,999 for the quilt = ¥23,998 earns three. About 110 Wh × ¥31 = about ¥3.4 an hour on high; 16.5 kWh × ¥31 = about ¥512 a month, under ¥600, adds one (the seller shows about ¥3.0 an hour, at ¥27 per kWh)
Easy to live with	★★★★★	A stepless hand controller adds one and folding legs add one, taking it to the five-star cap. It arrives assembled (seller)
Trust	★★★★☆	204 reviews averaging 4.29 across six listings found by searching the product name on Rakuten (177 at 4.3 from Tansu no Gen, among others). 100 or more, but below 4.3, earns four
Only here	★★★★☆	The only one of the eight that arrives assembled and folds its legs for storage — nothing to put together before the first evening, and easy to put away after the season (one point)

Quilt and base futon both included — for a cold floor

Tansu no Gen 600 W halogen kotatsu, 80 × 80 cm, three-piece set with quilt and base futon

The base futon blocks the cold of a wooden floor, so it can go straight down
About 180 W on high: ¥5.6 an hour at ¥31 per kWh
Top and apron panels are UV-coated

See today’s price on Rakuten→

Why it made the five

Table, quilt (205 × 205 cm) and base futon (190 × 190 cm) in one set
A 600 W halogen heater and a fan to warm the space underneath
A hand controller, and leg extenders that add 5 cm
Right for: Getting the whole futon set at once and starting straight away, or a room where the floor gets cold.
Not for: Keeping the electricity bill as low as possible — it is in the group with the highest consumption on high of the eight.
Worth knowing: Five hours a day on high costs about ¥837 a month. The high and low power figures come from the page of another Tansu no Gen three-piece set (item 21310000) that uses the same heater, the MHU-601E. The seller says not to use it together with an electric blanket or electric under-blanket.

Score breakdown — 82/100

Criterion	Stars	Why
Quality	★★★★★	An 80 × 80 cm top adds one and a UV-coated top and apron add one: five. A 3 cm thick top rated for 60 kg, and a halogen heater made by Metro Electric
Value for money	★★☆☆☆	¥21,999 for the three-piece set earns three. The seller’s about 180 W × ¥31 = about ¥5.6 an hour on high; 27 kWh × ¥31 = about ¥837 a month, ¥800 or more, takes one away. On low (about 90 W), about ¥2.8 an hour and about ¥419 a month
Easy to live with	★★★★★	Leg extenders (+5 cm) give two heights: one point. A hand controller: one more. No timer listed
Trust	★★★★★	352 reviews averaging 4.38 across the listings found by searching the product name on Rakuten (313 at 4.38 for Tansu no Gen’s three-piece set, among others). 100 or more at 4.3 or above earns five
Only here	★★★★☆	The only one of the eight delivered with a base futon (190 × 190 cm), which keeps the floor’s cold out and leaves nothing else to buy (one point)

The cheapest of the eight with the futon, and over 2,000 Rakuten reviews

Yamazen casual kotatsu, 75 × 75 cm (SEU-752, futon set)

Heater is a U-shaped quartz tube (MS-303H), about 160 Wh an hour on high
About ¥5.0 an hour, ¥744 a month at five hours a day, about ¥372 on low
With a double-sided flannel quilt it costs ¥5,000 more than the table alone

See today’s price on Rakuten→

Why it made the five

75 × 75 cm, with a top that reverses from white to black
Available as a set with a flannel quilt (1.5 kg of filling)
Over 2,000 reviews at the official Rakuten shop
Right for: A first flat on your own, buying everything down to the futon cheaply in one go.
Not for: Keeping the electricity bill down — about ¥5.0 an hour on high, about ¥1.6 more than a flat heater.
Worth knowing: The height is fixed at 38.5 cm. It needs assembling. The official Rakuten shop’s price is a limited-time price, until 9:59 on 28 October 2026.

Score breakdown — 78/100

Criterion	Stars	Why
Quality	★★★☆☆	A 75 × 75 cm top in low-pressure melamine, with no UV coating or flat heater listed, so it stays at three. A reversible top; the maker gives about 55°C on high and about 37°C on low as a guide to the temperature at the side of the table
Value for money	★★★★★	¥13,499 with the futon earns five. About 160 Wh × ¥31 = about ¥5.0 an hour on high; 24 kWh × ¥31 = about ¥744 a month, so no change. On low, about 80 Wh × 150 hours = 12 kWh × ¥31 = about ¥372 a month
Easy to live with	★★★☆☆	Fixed at 38.5 cm with no extenders listed, an in-line switch on the cord, and no timer listed: no points
Trust	★★★★★	2,386 reviews averaging 4.32 across the listings found by searching the product name on Rakuten (2,305 across three listings for this set, plus 81 across two listings for the ESK-MDN758, which share the same words). 100 or more at 4.3 or above earns five
Only here	★★★☆☆	Its futon-included price is the lowest of the eight, but that is already scored under value, and nothing about its heater or features belongs to it alone — no points

Four heights from 38 to 65 cm — floor, sofa or dining chair

Yamazen Pitadaka kotatsu with four heights, 80 × 80 cm (GEXN-F801H4N, futon set)

38 cm for the floor, 48 or 55 cm for a sofa, 65 cm for a chair
Two 250 W quartz tubes (510 W); about 180 Wh an hour on high, about ¥5.6

See today’s price on Rakuten→

Why it made the five

Leg extenders give four heights: 38, 48, 55 and 65 cm
A 220 × 220 cm quilt that can be machine-washed in a laundry net
An 80 × 80 cm UV-coated top
Right for: Using it both from the floor and from a chair, or working from home at the kotatsu.
Not for: Keeping both the purchase price and the electricity bill down.
Worth knowing: Five hours a day on high costs about ¥837 a month, in the most expensive group of the eight to run. It is sold only as a futon set, and its Rakuten review count includes buyers of other sizes, such as 105 × 75 cm.

Score breakdown — 76/100

Criterion	Stars	Why
Quality	★★★★★	An 80 × 80 cm top adds one and a UV-coated top (fibreboard, urethane finish) adds one: five. The quilt is 220 × 220 cm and machine-washable in a laundry net (maker)
Value for money	★☆☆☆☆	¥34,999 with the futon earns two. About 180 Wh × ¥31 = about ¥5.6 an hour on high; 27 kWh × ¥31 = about ¥837 a month, ¥800 or more, takes one away. On low, about 85 Wh × 150 hours = 12.75 kWh × ¥31 = about ¥395 a month
Easy to live with	★★★★★	Leg extenders give four heights (38/48/55/65 cm): two points. An in-line switch on the cord and no timer listed
Trust	★★★★☆	177 reviews averaging 4.25 across three listings found by searching the product name on Rakuten (other sizes included). 100 or more, but below 4.3, earns four
Only here	★★★★★	The only one of the eight with four heights, up to 65 cm, to fit a floor table, a sofa or a dining setting (one point). Its 220 × 220 cm quilt is also the largest of the eight (one point)

Know before you buy

The wattage on the box is the heater’s maximum, not what you pay for: the heater cuts out or eases off once it is warm. Compare the published hourly consumption on high instead — 110 Wh to 180 Wh across these eight.
At ¥31 per kWh, five hours a day for 30 days on high comes to about ¥512 a month with a flat carbon heater and about ¥837 with a 600 W halogen or a 510 W quartz-tube heater.
Flat panel heaters keep the underside clear for your feet and were the cheapest to run here. Among quartz-tube heaters, Yamazen’s NCH-302 is close behind at about 112 Wh.
Buying the quilt as a set at Yamazen’s official Rakuten shop added ¥5,000 to the table price. The quilts are 185 × 185 cm, sized for a 75–80 cm square.
Most of these tables sit between 35.5 and 41 cm. Only one goes up to 65 cm, high enough to use from a dining chair.
Nitori and Muji are absent because they sell their kotatsu through their own shops and websites, not new on Rakuten Ichiba.

How we chose: theme, conditions, scoring

How we chose

Candidates: 20
Met every condition below: 13
Kept: five, each the best at something different

Conditions (all of them, not most of them)

A square top, 75–80 cm a side — enough for one or two people
Low enough to use sitting on the floor (under 45 cm)
An hourly running cost, or hourly consumption in Wh, published by the maker or seller for both the high and low settings
Buyable new on Rakuten Ichiba (in-stock listings checked on 26 October 2026)

Scoring

Five criteria, one to five stars each, weighted to one hundred points. Every star says where the number came from.

Quality20 pts
- Starts at three stars. Add one for an 80 × 80 cm top, which two people can get their legs under; one if the maker lists a UV coating on the top against scratches and heat; and one for a flat panel heater that does not stick down towards your feet. Five at most.
Value for money25 pts
- Set by the cost of table plus quilt on Rakuten Ichiba: under ¥15,000 five stars, ¥15,000–19,999 four, ¥20,000–24,999 three, ¥25,000–34,999 two, ¥35,000 or more one. Add one if running it on high five hours a day for 30 days costs under ¥600 a month; take one away if it costs ¥800 or more. Never below one or above five.
Easy to live with20 pts
- Starts at three stars. Add one for leg extenders that change the height (two for four or more heights), one for a hand controller so you can change the temperature without getting up, one for an auto-off timer, and one for legs that fold for storage. Five at most.
Trust20 pts
- The total of reviews across the Rakuten listings found by searching the product name: 100 or more averaging 4.3 or above earns five, 30 or more four, 10 or more three, 1–9 two, and none yet one.
Only here15 pts
- Starts at three stars. Add one or two where a figure or feature belongs to this model alone among the eight compared, and where it bears directly on running cost, warmth or everyday use.

What we dropped

Candidate	Verdict	Why
Yamazen casual kotatsu with flat heater, 75 × 75 cm (ESK-MDN758, futon set)	Runner-up (82/100)	82 points, but its MCR-200E flat heater is the same one as in the Tansu no Gen folding-leg kotatsu among the five, which also arrives assembled and folds away. With its futon set this one costs about ¥4,000 less (¥19,999 against ¥23,998).
Yamazen furniture-style kotatsu with flat heater, 80 × 80 cm (GKF-MDN802H)	Runner-up (78/100)	78 points. It has the lowest high-setting consumption of any 80 cm model, about 110 Wh, but ¥29,999 for the table and ¥35,998 with a quilt is the highest total of the eight, which holds its value score to two stars.
Yamazen casual kotatsu with 5-hour auto-off timer, 75 × 75 cm (ESK-T759, futon set)	Runner-up (76/100)	76 points. It is the only one of the eight with an auto-off timer, but its 75 cm size, about 160 Wh on high and fixed 38.5 cm height match the SEU-752, which costs ¥3,500 less with its futon (¥13,499 against ¥16,999) and has far more reviews (30 against 2,386).
Yamazen ESK-759	Runner-up	75 × 75 cm with the MS-303H heater (about 160 Wh on high) — the same heater and height as the SEU-752. Its two Rakuten listings offer no futon set and have no reviews yet.
Yamazen EOT-80HTE6	Runner-up	80 × 80 cm, 36/41 cm extenders and a five-hour auto-off timer. Two Rakuten listings (lowest ¥20,900) with no reviews yet, and its timer role overlaps the ESK-T759.
Yamazen HKR-8080H	Runner-up	An 80 × 80 cm top with rounded corners, the NCH-302 heater (about 112 Wh on high) and 36/41 cm extenders. One Rakuten listing (¥20,439) with no reviews, and its role overlaps the GKR-803H.
Tansu no Gen square kotatsu 80 × 80 (MSU-501H)	Runner-up	A 510 W quartz-tube heater. The seller shows about ¥4.6 an hour on high, calculated at ¥27 per kWh — about ¥5.3 at ¥31. It costs more to run than the 600 W halogen kotatsu and has 12 reviews.
Yamazen NCF-7575H, GKRN-80H, HLT-8080, WG-805H and GKR-HDN802H	Outside the theme	Running costs are published on Yamazen’s site, but we found no in-stock Rakuten listing for the model numbers (condition 4, 26 October 2026).
Koizumi furniture-style kotatsu KTR-31262	Outside the theme	A 2026 model, 75 × 75 cm with extenders and a natural-wood veneer. The official Rakuten shop page gives 500 W but no hourly running cost or consumption (condition 3).
Nakamura flat-heater folding-leg kotatsu, Flat Morris, 75 × 75 cm	Outside the theme	Plenty of Rakuten reviews (1,198 on the futon-set listing), but we could not find its power consumption or running cost in the product page text (condition 3).
Iris Ohyama kotatsu	Outside the theme	Its own site divides kotatsu into rectangular, oval, with storage and design, and we could find no current model with a 75–80 cm square top (condition 1).

Questions visitors ask

Which one should I choose if I can’t decide?

The Yamazen furniture-style kotatsu, 80 × 80 cm with leg extenders (GKR-803H), with its futon set. It scored 90 points across the five criteria, the highest of the five.

Which is the cheapest?

The Yamazen casual kotatsu, 75 × 75 cm (SEU-752), at about ¥13,499 with its futon set. Prices are guides checked on Yamazen’s site and Rakuten Ichiba on 25 October 2026; they move with campaigns and stock, so check the link before you buy.

Where can I buy one?

All five are sold by shops on Rakuten Ichiba, which generally ship within Japan only, and the links above go straight to them. They run on Japanese mains power, so they suit a home in Japan rather than a suitcase. Nitori and Muji also sell kotatsu, but only through their own shops and websites, so they are not compared here.

Which costs least to run?

The ones with the flat carbon heater (Metro Electric MCR-200E): the Tansu no Gen folding-leg kotatsu and Yamazen’s ESK-MDN758 and GKF-MDN802H. They draw about 110 Wh an hour on high: 110 Wh × ¥31 = about ¥3.4 an hour, and five hours a day for 30 days is 16.5 kWh × ¥31 = about ¥512 a month. Among quartz-tube heaters, Yamazen’s GKR-803H (NCH-302) is lowest at about 112 Wh — about ¥3.5 an hour, about ¥521 a month.

Does a 600 W kotatsu cost twice as much to run as a 300 W one?

No. 300 W and 600 W are the heater’s maximum, and it switches off or eases back once the temperature rises. To compare, look at the hourly consumption in Wh that the maker publishes for high and low. Yamazen’s SEU-752 (300 W) draws about 160 Wh on high, Tansu no Gen’s 600 W halogen kotatsu about 180 W — a difference of about ¥0.6 an hour.

Is it cheaper to buy the futon as a set?

At Yamazen’s official Rakuten shop (Kurashi no e-Shop), both the SEU-752 and the GKR-803H cost ¥5,000 more with a quilt than on their own (limited-time prices on 26 October 2026). The set quilt is 185 × 185 cm, sized for a 75–80 cm square. If your floor is cold, Tansu no Gen’s three-piece set also includes a base futon.

Which ones can change height?

Yamazen’s GKR-803H and GKF-MDN802H have extenders for 36 cm and 41 cm, and Tansu no Gen’s 600 W halogen kotatsu has two heights, 35.5 cm and 40.5 cm. Yamazen’s GEXN-F801H4N-FSET has four — 38, 48, 55 and 65 cm — taking it from floor sitting to a sofa and up to dining-chair height.

Why are Nitori, Muji and Iris Ohyama not included?

Nitori and Muji sell their kotatsu through their own online shops and stores, so the tables cannot be bought new on Rakuten Ichiba and fall outside our conditions. Iris Ohyama’s own site divides its kotatsu into rectangular, oval, with storage and design, and we could find no current model with a 75–80 cm square top, so none were candidates.

Changes

2026-10-25　First published. Scored from 20 candidates.