Source of photo: https://www.yadoran.jp/magazine/121050
Even if the shoe fits, take it off inside the house in Japan.
The reason why we take off shoes
Source of photo: https://bunshun.jp/articles/photo/4735?pn=2
We do that almost unconsciously. It’s very natural for us, like breathing. I’ve never even thought why that is, but it seems there are many curious people (unlike me) trying to find out the reason. According to them:
1. It’s because the climate of Japan is high temperature and humidity;
2. It’s because of the Japanese unique culture to divide the world into in- and out-group;
3. It’s because of the Japanese unique culture to sleep on the floor.
The first one doesn’t answer why that is peculiar to Japan; the second one sounds reasonable but remotely related; the third one has aroused my interest most. According to the third reason, we take off shoes inside the house to keep the floor clean because we sleep on the floor. My intellectual curiosity being stimulated, I started to make another research on why we sleep on the floor, but it turned out the answer is very simple, as is common with everlasting truth.
The reason why we sleep on the floor
Source of photo: https://www.ritzcarlton.com/jp/hotels/japan/kyoto/rooms-suites/garden-terrace-suite-tatami
We sleep on the floor because houses are made of wood, warmer and softer than those of stone. As I wrote in my last column (I strongly recommend you to visit our website and read it three times if you have not yet), about 70% of the land is covered by forest in Japan. We have used abundant wood to make houses, and not been motivated to invent beds. In addition, spreading and folding bedding is more space-efficient than placing beds, which is more prioritized in small houses in such land that is occupied by forest.
The reason why I’m writing about a no-shoe culture
I believe we are fastest in putting on and taking off shoes in the world, but bragging about our secret skill is not the point of this column, of course. The no-shoe culture affects our standard heights of chairs and tables — slightly lower than the global standard, and so, we propose our customers to take off their shoes and try our chairs and tables at our shops in Japan. Now, this is the point: You don’t have to worry even if you don’t adopt a no-shoe policy in your house. We offer higher types in all of our collections.
About the author:
Shungo Ijima
CONDE HOUSE General Manage of International Div.
He is travelling around the world. His passion is to explain Japan to the world, from the unique viewpoint accumulated through his career: overseas posting, MBA holder, former official of the Ministry of Finance.
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