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Culturally speaking, because it's traditional and it is the polite thing to do.

Many cultures have similar customs. For instance, in Russia it is considered impolite to wear a hat indoors. The custom of removing shoes is widespread in other Eastern countries besides Japan, especially in Korea and Turkey. It is also present in Scandinavian countries. In Sweden it is a major faux pass to walk through a house with shoes on. Some schools in Sweden even require shoes to be removed.

As a practical matter, traditionally there was very little furniture in Japan. The floors in traditional Japanese dwellings are covered with tatami mats. These mats are used to sit on and to sleep on instead of chairs and beds. The streets and roads were muddy and dirty. Wearing your shoes into the house would bring the mud, dirt, dust and bacteria into the house and you would have to sleep in all that. It would be much better to leave the shoes and the dirt out. Also, the mats do not stand up to footwear very well, meaning that anything but bare feet or socks would rip them up.

Even though Western-style raised furniture and hard flooring is common in Japan now and the pavement technology is much improved, the tradition remains, in part because the Japanese like traditions and in part because it makes sense to have a cleaner house. Even good pavement has some dirt on it.

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βˆ™ 12y ago
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βˆ™ 11y ago

They are accepting you as family so be happy

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Q: Why do the Japanese take their shoes off before entering a house?
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What do Japanese people do as they enter a house?

take off there shoes


What is the most important Chinese custom?

Take off your shoes before you come into there house.


Difference in Japanese and Australian life?

-9 years school compulsory -Have a test b4 you can enter middle school and high school. -The test can be very hard -japanese people take shoes off b4 entering house/ school -has set colors for each grade -Literacy rate over 99%, highest in the world. -Hw starts on first grade -many school events like relay races, tug of war. Excursions to historical sites, festivals and perfomances by children. -


What components of traditional Japanese culture are still inherent to Japanese family life today?

A lot of components of traditional Japanese life have been westernized. The current Japanese family life is a mixture of both traditional Japanese life and western life. Food: Most Japanese eat both traditional Japanese food and western food. Many Japanese have coffee and toast for breakfast, but have traditional Japanese food for lunch and dinner. Clothes: Most Japanese wear western style clothes. Traditional clothes are worn on special occasions such as New Year's day, wedding ceremonies, funerals etc. Housing: Most Japanese houses have at least one Japanese style room with tatami mats, shoji, fusuma, and tokonoma. The rest of the house are western style rooms with carpets or hard wood floor with tables and chairs. One must take off his shoes when one enters a Japanese house.


What did Romans ware on there feet?

The Romans had three types of basic footwear, shoes, slippers and sandals. When they went outdoors they wore shoes. The reason for this was that the streets were dirty and dusty, had chamber pots dumped into them and also there was the problem of horse and donkey manure laying around. No one wanted that stuff oozing through their toes, so a type of closed shoe was worn out doors. These shoes were immediately removed upon entering a house and sandals or slippers were put on. For example, if a person were going to a dinner, his attendant would carry the master's sandals and help him change footwear as he entered the host's house.

Related questions

What do Japanese people do with their shoes when they go into a house?

It is a Japanese tradition to remove your shoes when entering the house.


Why do Americans not take off their shoes before entering a house?

because maybe that's how they like to do things in their house not everyone takes of there shoes before entering a house


What do you do before walking into a Japanese house?

Before walking into a Japanese house, you remove your shoes.


Before entering a Japanese home you should remove what item?

You should take off your shoes before entering


Which religions have to take off their shoes when entering their place of worship?

Removing shoes before entering a house is usually a cultural rather than a religious tradition. It is common to many Eastern countries, as well as Scandinavia. However, some religions require removing shoes before entering a house of worship or a temple. Muslims remove their shoes before entering a mosque, Hindus remove shoes before entering a temple, and Sikhs remove shoes before entering a gurudwara.


Before entering a japanese home you should remove what?

You should remove your shoes and your host will provide you with slippers.


Why do the Japanese wear slippers in their homes?

Japanese people share the same traditions with other parts of Southeast Asia. It is customary to remove shoes before entering the house because they consider the floor clean. After removing their shoes, they tend to wear slippers within the household.


What should you first do when entering a Japanese home?

remove shoes


Do people take off their shoes before entering a house in China?

Most of people in china , after go home, change into slipper.


Why do Chinese people take shoes off before entering house?

Chinese people always take off there shoes when going into a room bceauce they are showing respect to the family.


Why do you remove your shoes before entering a Wharenui?

Removing shoes before entering a Wharenui, or a Māori meeting house, is a sign of respect for the sacredness of the space. It is a cultural practice in Māori culture and signifies leaving behind the outside world and entering into a spiritually significant space. It also helps to keep the Wharenui clean as shoes can bring dirt and other impurities from the outside.


What should you do before entering a gurdwara?

Take your shoes off