Why does everyone make a big deal about taking shoes off in Japan
 

I live in Canada. Everyone takes off their shoes off at the door. I always thought that was normal for every country. Its often mentioned that in "Japan they want you to take off shoes at the door". Its mentioned as if thats soooo weird.

Is there even a country where this is not custom? It seems strange to even think that somewhere out there someone would actually let someone walk around in shoes , getting floors all dirty.

I've always been raised to remove my shoes indoors as well. Apparently not everyone does though. A discussion on the topic can be found here:

Why do some people wear shoes indoors? | Ask MetaFilter

Here, at least with my family, we do what's most comfortable and convienent. If leaving our shoes on is comfortable, then we'll leave them on. If we're just walking in to get something, we leave them on. If we're curling up in bed to take a nap, or staying inside for a while, we take them off.

It's not really a big deal, but in Japan I think it's more enforced, where to walk into certain establishments (places that aren't homes, such as a workplace) you need to take off your shoes. Around here that's unheard of unless it's your own home, or you're staying a few hours at someone elses house.

I agree. I'd never found it weird to take my shoes off before entering someone's place.

Most of my family is Asian, and I have lived mostly in suburban and rural areas, which may contribute somewhat to my case. However, I've also seen a few non-asian households practice removing their shoes before entering. And, in most cases, it was for purely logical reasons, like preserving the carpet or flooring.

On the other hand, I do think switching between slippers is a little weird. But that's a different story.

I pretty much always have my shoes on inside. Though wearing just socks is comfortable, I just don't think about it.

I allways take my shoes off when i go inside my own or someone elses house. But this is usually what all norwegians do. We dont take off our shoes at work and things like that, but in homes we allways follow this kind of "rule". So it's not just japanese people who practice this :) We dont have special slippers or anything like that tough. We do it so that the house we enter dosent get dirty :) Am I wrong if I say that I think americans leave their shoes on?

It's kind of hard to summarize Americans as a single culture, but, yes, I guess they do generally leave their shoes on. Unless maybe they're Japanese-American or Norwegian-American, etc., etc. :)

Thats true :) I also think thats mostly why the question "why do japanese people take their shoes of?" comes up. If it is normal for some americans to leave them on, they might wonder why others take them off ;)

I think it`s because it is a firmly followed rule. You never, ever enter someone`s house with shoes on - no matter what the reason is. You will even hear stories of catching burglars because they took their shoes off at the door...
There is a specific dedicated area inside the door solely for this purpose.

For a while in my house in the US, we took our shoes off when coming in (mainly to avoid getting the carpet too dirty) - but it wasn`t an absolute rule. Friends who never took their shoes off, well, never took their shoes off. Someone coming to do work in the house would wipe their feet on the door mat, but not take their shoes off.

I don`t know how it is in Canada, but is it a 100% rule that no one EVER keeps their shoes on for any reason?

Second this. I don't see the point in keeping shoes on inside the house. As Norwegian86 says, this seems to be the norm here. Public areas: shoes on, people's private homes: shoes off, and in fact I've yet to see an exception from this "rule".

We usually change shoes indoor but not off shoes

It is a good habit I think, at least the floor will be kept clean. But in China, especailly in country side, people all in shoes indoor. Some people live in cities, change their shoes when they indoor.

here you usually put off shoes in the first room after you have entered the house or flat, this is the room dedicated to this purpose, and therefore it is called "antechamber" or "entrance hall". it is usually equipped with shoe case where you will put your shoes, and there are also hangers for your coat and other stuff good for preparation to leave the house, like large mirror to see how you look :). the host might offer you wear the inside shoes (cannot find right translation in dictionary) if he got a spare, simple shoes used only at home so your feet don't get cold

main reason why you don't leave your shoes in front of doors is because you may not find them there once you finish your visit ;)

there are some homes where they don't require your shoes off at all.

I've always thought it was more talked about in Japan because they do it for more cultural or traditional reasons? Rather than simply not wanting to dirty the floor. Maybe i'm wrong but that was what i thought.

Where as in many other countries it's still done, but mostly just so you don't feel like you're being igorant to others.

End of the day the world is a filthy place, and i wouldn't want someone walking around on my expensive carpet with dirty shows on!!!
I have a hallway as others have mentioned with a coat hanger and shoe rack and matress...plus wooden flooring for easy cleaning.
I expect guests to remove shoes here as i would in their house.

But certainly shoes are always left on anywhere else. Except obvious hygeine contious places such as swimming baths etc.

From my perspective of an asian, i think i know it is why such an important issue. I think i it meant more than just to not dirty the floor, it meant the respect of the visitor for the house and the house's owner.

This is a personal experience, when i was i kid i remmerber my parents always tell me to take off my shoes when entering somebody house. This one time i was visiting my friend house who is also asian, i forgot to take off my shoes and he scolded at me " Oi man, take off your shoes, gee asian no respect!!!" It's funny how he said it, that 's why i still remembered it.

So yeah, i think respect and customary are the most approriate explanation why Japanese making such as fuss about it. LOL.... i know this cause i know how asian feel about respect and disrepect.

Yes. As a kid being brought up in a prodominantly Asian household, I developed strict manners. When I was offered something, I usually wouldn't accept it unless it was an obligation; I had to always honor the elders, even if they were mad at me (or vice versa); I always spoke formally to strangers or seniors, unless idicated not to: Those sort of things. They sound more harsh than they really are. I think all cultures have variants of these basic principles, and some form of appreciation thereof; not just Asians.

I was in Australia and Hawaii back then.
It's funny, when I came to live in mainland U.S, all the adults were amazed by how polite I was. I never really got it, at the time. I even got teased at school for my formal langauge -- not to mention my Aussie accent.

I take my shoes off when I go into other people's homes and my own of course. It is more personal I believe and the obvious benefit of not getting the carpets dirty.

As a side note wearing no shoes is much more comfortable anyway.

You lived in Australia, which state, i now live in South Australia, i migrated to Australia about 6 years ago. And Yes, aussie do have funny accent, i think it's the best english accent cause it is more laidback and relax.

Same here, I always take my shoes off, except at a friends house, he doesn't want us to take our show off, maybe it's because he is in the process of renovating his house!!!

When did we ever make such a fuss about it? It's all too natural to us that we don't even discuss it.

It has never been odd to me. I grew around mostly Asians so when i went over to their houses its the norm to take off your shoes. Plus in my own house we did so for a number of reasons. Not to track dirt in being the main reason but you can also track unwanted things you pick up on the bottom of your shoes from being outside and they get engraved in your carpet. To this day i take off my shoes before entering a house and will continue to do so and my children will as well.

Ah, but you would make a fuss about it if someone came into your house and didn`t take their shoes off. I think that is what is meant.

Nice. I mostly lived in the Queensland area.
I can't say I don't miss it. I had a lot of fun there.

If someone forgot something they may run in and grab it with shoes on...some people may take off. for the most part. Shoes off.

I think Mexico does not, culturally like people only wearing socks inside their houses.

That's why I always thought it a bit disrespectful to take your shoes OFF, especially if you're not close to the person. You're making yourself too comfortable in someone else's home. Not sure if anyone else feels this way, though...

That's a good point. The way I see it, it would be better to offend someone by being too comfortable than trodding mud and dog waste all over their floor.

That's what the door mat is for ;)

Why do you step in dog waste?

Because it makes a cool, squishy sound.

-Shudders-

I would like everyone I invite into my home to be as comfortable as possible.

Well, when I go round to other people's houses, I always take my shoes off. It's really rude not to, unless they tell you it's okay. In my house, we don't care whether shoes are off or on, but when people come round they usually take their shoes off just because it's polite. My house isn't a cream carpet house but if I notice someone has a cream carpet the shoes will come off xD

Unless it's muddy outside, or you stepped in dog poop, you're going to be tracking in as much as your sock feet/bare feet would as with your shoes.

Also, I'm not sure if this is only in the U.S., but most houses have a rug at the door (inside, I mean) so people won't track stuff in. If someone isn't family, or isn't close, they're normally going to stand near the door during their visit on the rug to prevent tracking things in.

I know. Thank you for putting that in for me. :)

i know this sounds dumb.what about foot odor?many cultures wash-up a lot as i do yet my own feet still gross me out.sprays and powders do help somewhat .:mtongue:

Couple of life long issues here for me. :rolleyes:
Not only was I taught that Asians remove their shoes when entering out of respect and to keep from tracking in anything, but because tatami mats (once the primary type of flooring) do not withstand the crushing from shoes well. Can you image what the uprights/stiles of a pair of geta would do to a tatami mat? Bare or stocking feet are far less damaging. From what I have seen in the past 10-20 years, Americans are beginning to realize these benefits and follow suit. They are beginning to notice the divots in hardwood floors that even a slightly built woman in stillettos makes.

But it is still not the general custom in the U.S. To remove your shoes is regarded as beginning to disrobe. :eek: Not something you do just anywhere, especially upon arrival in someone else's house. All my life I was teased that you could "pick out the Texans/Southerners" because we were the ones who removed our shoes at the first chance and usually preferred to be barefoot indoors and out.

When I was a child in England, my nanny's house and part of ours (mostly the kitchen) had bare dirt floors. So the only time we removed our shoes was if they were wet - (1) to dry them by the fire grate and (2) so as not to create mud and track it around. I dare say that if I had removed my shoes, except for bathing or going to bed, my nanny would have been appalled.

As for foot odor, the two primary causes are synthetic materials (hard to avoid these days) and skin problems. As chic as patent leather can be, it doesn't breathe and when you add nylon/spandex in today's hosiery you are doomed to smelly feet. The skin can't breathe, the skin sweats from the lack air and abundance of heat, and the result is unavoidable. At least geta and zori don't have this issue ..... unless the zori are the pretty ones often made of vinyl, or the wood of the geta has been varnished.

I lived in the continental US for my first six years of life, and always took my shoes off because my mother didn't want the floor to be dirty, and for the sake of comfort. Much time has passed since then, and I STILL take my shoes off mostly for comfort. If you want to ask "Why exactly do Japanese think this?" types of question, you should be asking why they think they are the only ones who don't fold socks on the table. I'm not any kind of Asian, but I had never imagined anybody folding ANY of their clothes on the table, so imagine my irritation when I read this(this is courtesy of J-List):

WTF?! Who even does that?! This is one of the few instances where I've been enraged by Japan(because they act like they are the only ones who do this, know this, or thinks that way).