Everyone knows that Japanese take their shoes off when they enter a home. Being shoeless keeps the house cleaner (remember people sit on the floors and eat on low tables) and probably keeps the tatami mats from wearing out too quickly. The entrance to a house has a high step right inside the front door and people will remove their shoes, step into the room, politely turn their shoes around so that the toes are pointing outwards (easier to slip into when leaving) and don slippers that are provided by the host. I have yet to see a home that doesn't provide slippers for their guests (except my own because I often forget to put out the slippers. My guests have to grab some from the shoe shelf themselves.)In my California home I never saw slippers except for some old lady fluffy slippers that was only good for the trip from Grandma's bed to the bathroom down the hall. I don't think anyone I know in California would be caught dead walking around the house wearing slippers! Of course everyone is wearing shoes, but even so I don't think anyone would consider wearing slippers when guests were present or even having a pair of guest slippers available! Not so in Japan! Guest slippers can get to be quite pricey and are part of the room decoration. If you happen to ignore the slippers provided when you visit someone in Japan the hostess will come running after you and practically slip them on your feet for you.
Not only are there room slippers, there are also bathroom slippers. Cassy, this is where I'm warning you! When you go to the bathroom, you take off the slippers you are wearing, leave them in front of the bathroom door (lets everyone know the bathroom is occupied) and put on the pair of bathroom slippers that sit waiting. When you leave the bathroom, you take off the bathroom slippers and put your own waiting slippers back on. Hopefully, if you've really got your manners polished, you turn the bathroom slippers around (toes pointing in) so that the next person can easily use them. Almost 100% of the time I mess up around this point. I always just go barreling out of the bathroom wearing the bathroom slippers and step right back into the conversation with the hostess. She usually freezes at some point and goes running back to get the room slippers I left at her bathroom door and then returns the bathroom slippers to their spot, all the time apologizing for being such a bumbling hostess that she should have such unidentifiable slippers (as if I don't know that I'm the big oaf who has forgotten the custom!)
This bathroom slipper custom is also seen widely at schools and various institutions. Usually the bathroom slippers are rubber things that your toes can hardly fit into and they sometimes even have the men/women logo on them so that there will be no mistake about taking off with them. They are extremely ugly things so I think someone has solved the problem of stolen slippers at the rest stops along the highway and in the hospitals.And for the people who have the philosophy of "be prepared for everything" little fold away slippers that will slip into your handbag are sold and are very handy for mothers who have to attend PTA meetings at school. I always forgot mine at home and some teacher would run after me with school slippers.
16 comments:
My question ... for those of us who must wear orthotics in our shoes, and can barely walk without them, what would we do?
Here in Hawaii, it is custom to take off your shoes at the porch or just inside the door. I have to say I really like that. Of course we don't have slippers, just go in our stocking/bare feet. With the red dirt here, it is actually a necessity. It will be a custom I will continue after living here.
We also tend to take our shoes off at the door - at least during the winter so we don't track slush and dirt through the house. I wear slippers now to keep my feet warm!
As with the orthotics, what if you have a orthopedic device and literally can't remove your shoes? And, what about handicap accessibility? The step at the front door got me thinking about it. Handicap accessibility is considered more in building designs in the U.S. What is it like it Japan?
I've got into the habit of taking my shoes off at the door and putting on slippers. Wish the rest of the family would too! Just out of interest, surely there is a risk of infection?
I've got into the habit of taking my shoes off at the door and putting on slippers. Wish the rest of the family would too! Just out of interest, surely there is a risk of infection?
Very interesting post! Arabic people also have separate slippers that must not be worn outside the bathroom. Shoes are also discouraged in the house. It keeps everything so much cleaner! I love the kitty slipper holder!
This sort of post from you always fascinates me Tanya - most of all I can't even begin to imagine how complex you must have found life when you first moved out there. In the UK we tend to ask people as we enter their house if they'd like us to remove our shoes (especially if there's a cream carpet throughout!) but often leave them on which is hell on the floorcoverings that until very recently fashion has dictated will be fitted wall to wall carpetting
We have a lovely shoe cabinet, from dh's life of days gone by. It now houses flashlights, cameras, batteries and emergency candles, lol, but no shoes!
I'd be carrying my own slippers, I'm way too weird to put someone else's on, lol. And would I cause uncomfortableness if I was wearing the men's slippers? (I've got the FATTEST feet!)
Wow...they say you learn something everyday...and today I did. Thanks for sharing the details of Japanese life...it's fasinating.
My family would fail big time...They aren't trained well in taking their shoes off at the door...good thing I have laminate throughout the house!
We generally walk around bare feet or with socks around the house. I have slippers around here someplace. Haven't worn them in a while.
Come to think of it, I think my uncle's house did have a lot of slippers at the door, but it didn't occur to me that they were for guests! I think I'd be afraid of foot fungus and stuff wearing communal slippers. I guess that is what socks are for.
If my husband and I came to visit you in Japan would you have big slippers for him? He has size 14 feet (shoes) while mine are size 11 women's size.
Slippers for the bathroom - this is a new one for me! If I ever travel to Japan I will have to remember this one!
So many interesting customs & things to learn about Japanese life. They are really fastidious, to have the seperate bathroom slippers!
The bathroom slippers are also in public places such as baths, which I found interesting since you were often barefoot! I also wondered about slippers for my son who wears a 15EEEE shoe, that can be difficult to find here in the US
I too had questions about the disabled individuals during my January trip to Tokyo. Several of the subway stations, such as Hiro, do not have elevators or escalators. I guess if you are not mobile, you must carefully consider where you live, etc.
Thanks for the lovely post and reminders of Japan!
One other thing I forgot...I found the little hand towels, the size of a wash cloth which most women carry in thier purse quite interesting. Often there are no papertowels or air dryers in bathrooms. The variety of patterns and colors on these cloths were interesting to this quilter!
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