Removing of Shoes inside the House

Even as many many Japanese dwell in high rise buildings or apartments today, their way of living still remain greatly traditional.

Many Japanese still do not bring their footwear inside the house. Footwear is usually left in the genkan, found just in the entrance way, separated from the main entrance to the house. The genkan is equipped with a geta-bako or shoe-storage.

In some houses, there are slipper racks filled with different kinds of slippers to be worn inside the house. A separate slipper is also provided for use in the bathroom.

When a floor is covered with tatami, no footwear (slippers or otherwise) must be worn inside the room as this will easily damage the mats. The tradition of removing slippers began among the aristocrats and dating back to the Heian period (794 - 1192). The need to remove slippers inside the house was due to the fact that Japan occasionally receives high amount of rainfall, leaving the roads damp and muddy. As a result of this, dirty footwear inside the house makes it difficult to clean and maintain, especially since the floors are where the Japanese sit, dine and sleep.