How do you wear Japanese style shoes etiquette?

This is something we have seen in many movies and series, read about it in magazines and novels, but it is unknown to most of us. We are talking about the Japanese custom of taking off their shoes when entering the house.

1. History

This tradition began in ancient Asia, when houses were usually raised about 2 feet above the ground due to ventilation problems. The shoes must then be taken off and left at the entrance, which is usually on the ground.

Today in modern Asia, no matter what type of house, the entrance is usually a little lower than the other parts of the house, so no matter what the weather is, as long as someone arrives, the shoes will stay there, and the dirt will not reach the other parts of the house. It is indeed very practical.

The reason is far more than this one, there are also health factors. As you may know, Asians do a lot of sports activities barefoot because they believe it has a good effect on health, because wearing shoes all day makes people feel pressured and the feet can't breathe. So barefoot at home is a good thing. Kind of exercise.

2. Slippers and shoes in hotels, restaurants and other places

This tradition is not limited to private residences. Restaurants and hotels are other places where you must leave your shoes at the entrance. In some places, they provide guests with a pair of slippers, which is also a very comfortable choice. Slippers are usually at the door, on some shelves, or the host will provide them as soon as the guests arrive.

A very special case is the bathroom. Many restaurants and hotels provide guests with special slippers when they must enter this space. It is important to remember that these shoes are only suitable for use in the bathroom, so you must wear them as soon as you go in and throw them away before leaving the room. They should not enter another space in the bathroom. architecture. In order to make this transition easier for guests, especially foreigners who are not used to Japanese traditions, there is usually a wooden floor, which is different from other places where slippers should be placed, so it is easy to remember.

3. Tatami slippers

As mentioned earlier, there are two options for entering a building in Japan, either barefoot or wearing slippers provided by the owner.

There is a very special and important case to remember. It is a tatami floor. Some people may recognize it for sports such as karate. Shoes must always be left behind, and only bare feet are allowed on this type of floor.

As people can see, there is a long tradition behind slippers, not just comfort, of course, the next time you put on slippers, you must remember that this is a great story.