Why Do Japanese People Take Off Shoes at Home?

When you visit a Japanese home, you must take off your shoes. This is very important in Japan.

But why?

1. Clean Home

In Japan, people want to keep their homes clean. Shoes touch the street, dirt, and dust. If you wear shoes inside, the floor gets dirty. Japanese people sit, eat, and sometimes sleep on the floor, so they want it clean.

2. Tatami Floors

Many traditional Japanese homes have tatami. Tatami is a soft floor made from straw. It is easy to damage. Shoes can hurt the tatami, so people take off shoes to protect it.

3. A Special Place for Shoes

At the door of a house, there is a space called genkan. This is where you take off your shoes. You leave your shoes in the genkan, and then you walk inside with socks or slippers.

4. Slippers Inside

Sometimes, people wear slippers inside the house. But they do not wear slippers on tatami. Also, there are toilet slippers — these are special slippers only for the toilet room. After using the toilet, people change back to normal slippers.

5. Polite Culture

Taking off shoes is also a way to show respect. Japanese culture values being polite and clean. Removing your shoes shows care for the home and the people living there.

So, when you visit a Japanese house, don’t forget:

👟 Take off your shoes,

🥿 Put on slippers,

🙂 And enjoy the clean, peaceful home!