How to Buy Kerosene in Japan, or How to Not Freeze in Our Previously Cold Japanese House

Last winter was a chilly time in the Krueger house, you may recall. I’d heard horror stories of $500-600 electric bills, and without money to spare, I was…how shall we say…a heater Nazi. 🙁 My back hurt from shivering all the time, and we didn’t get completely unpacked from our move for nearly six months since no one ever ventured to the frigid upstairs. After enjoying our nice warm house all summer I decided even if our bills are higher than last year (which is inevitable given how cold we were) there’s no way they could approach Texas summer AC bills, right? This is probably true. Ok so anywho, one way to keep the house warm AND save electricity is to invest in kerosene for our efficient, VERY warm kerosene heaters! I toted our red kerosene tank to base and filled ‘er up while Chris was gone and it lasted until last night. Japanese kerosene (available at Japanese gas stations) is known to have less of an odor, but that’s more trouble than filling it up on base. What’s easier still?? Utilizing the kerosene man! Multiple ice cream truck-like songs get played on repeat by trucks circling our neighborhood daily. I never know what the heck they’re singing about, but I think one is the tofu truck man, one is the roasted sweet potato man (he hasn’t appeared yet this season), one is the sketchy people who will take large appliances and furniture off your hands and resell them since there aren’t any dumpsters around here, and one is apparently the kerosene man. I heard the song while I was checking email in my bathrobe before church, so I jumped into my clothes, raced downstairs, and got out the kerosene tank. He was gone. But they circle, so I put it by the gate. Not 10 minutes later the kerosene man had spotted my red tank and pulled over. As soon as I stuck my head outside, he hopped out of his car, retrieved my tank while I dashed inside to grab my wallet, then filled it up and put it back in my gate. The total? Y1,300 (about $15US). That’s about double what I pay when I lug it on and off base myself, and a few dollars more than getting Japanese kerosene at a gas station. But when it’s really really cold outside and I only have a scooter though, I’d say it’s totally worth it! Life in Japan becomes so much easier as I figure out stuff like this.