Kids Web Japan

b) Take off your shoes.

In Japan, before entering a home people first remove their shoes in an area just inside the entrance, called the genkan. This area serves as a border with the outside, and is more than just a doorway. Long ago, homes were thought to be sacred places in which many gods and spirits dwelled, and so to bring dirt into a home was considered disrespectful and improper. When entering a home, it is polite to arrange shoes that have been removed by pointing them back toward the door and placing them to the side.

The inside of the home is built one step higher than the genkan to offset heavy rain and high humidity. The word genkan originally referred to the gate of a Zen Buddhist temple, but nowadays it is used for the front entrance of ordinary homes.