In the entry hall of a Japanese home, there is a space to leave your street shoes. Slippers are worn in the house. Guest slippers are set out for visitors.
When you enter a Japanese house, you almost always have to step up into the house from the entry hall. You need to take your street shoes off before stepping up. According to Baba, that space is considered to be the outdoors so you don't step there in slippers, in barefeet or in socks. According to Baba, wearing socks is considered polite. Holes are embarrassing for everyone.
Here is how I enter: I take one shoe off and step up into a slipper. Then I slide the other shoe off and put the other slipper on. It takes good balance! Then I turn around and turn my shoes so the toes point toward the door. "That's manners." If you forget to turn your shoes around, the host or hostess will do it for you. That's courtesy. Some people take their shoes off and stand on top of them before putting on slippers. That seems easier.
Shoes that need to be tied are difficult to handle, but are not impossible. We have a stool in our entrance hall. I've seen them in catalogs so people are buying them. Shoes with velcro are easy. Clogs would be the easiest, but they're not comfortable with all the walking we have to do in Tokyo!
I have been searching the web for guest slippers for my house and came across your blog. I grew up in Japan as a kid, and the habit of wearing slippers has never left me. I also would like to keep the street dirt outside while keeping my guests' feet warm. I can't seem to find them in bulk for cheap. Any ideas on where I could by these?
ReplyDeleteChristy,
ReplyDeleteActually, foreign guests usually don't want to use slippers when they come to our house. The slippers that are sold here tend to be hard soled and rather roomy. They are so hard to keep on.
So I startrd buying slippers in the States. Dearborns or Dearforms from Dillard's fit snugly (on top)making them easy to keep on. They have flexible rubber soles. And they're washable.
Prices seem to be going down here. I guess there are more goods coming from different places, but slippers are still more expensive than in the States. I'd check at Target or Wal-Mart. Even on-line. I would suggest getting some that are washable. Annie