Hot-water bottles a winter hit

With winter approaching, an age-old heating system is making a comeback in Japan.

Ceramic makers in the central prefecture of Gifu are reporting brisk sales of hot-water bottles, which offer an environmentally friendly way to beat the cold.

Many hot-water bottles in Japan are made of steel. But ceramic ones are proving increasingly popular as they retain heat longer.

Toru Kato is a ceramic master in Gifu's Tajimi City, one of Japan's centers of ceramic manufacturing.

He makes hot-water bottles in the shape of rabbits or hedgehogs as well as basic ovals. He glazes them, then dries them under the sun, turning them slowly.

Kato says that, as an artisan, he is happy if people feel affection for his bottles