Of all the small customs in Japan, taking off your shoes is the one you will meet most often. It happens at a friend's home, at a traditional inn, inside many temples and castles, at some restaurants and even in clothing shop fitting rooms. Getting it wrong is rarely a disaster, but getting it right shows respect and saves you an awkward moment.
The good news is that there is one simple principle behind all of it: the line between "outside" and "inside" is not the door, it is the genkan. Once you understand that, the rest makes sense.
1. The Genkan: Where Outside Ends
A genkan (玄関) is the entrance area of a Japanese home or traditional building. It has a lower floor at ground level, usually tiled or concrete, and a raised step that leads into the living space. That step is called the agarikamachi (上がり框).
The lower part counts as outside, even though it is inside the front door. The raised part is inside. The rules, as explained by guides such as japan-guide.com and nippon.com, follow from this:
Take off your shoes while standing in the lower area. Never step onto the raised floor with outdoor shoes on.
Once your shoes are off, step straight up. Try not to put your socked feet down on the lower floor, which is treated as dirty.
Arrange your shoes neatly with the toes pointing towards the door, so they are easy to step into when you leave.
2. Slippers: When to Wear Them and When Not To
Many homes and inns provide indoor slippers for guests. You usually find them lined up on the raised floor of the genkan. Step out of your shoes and straight into the slippers.
- Hallways and wooden floors: Slippers are fine.
- Tatami rooms: Take your slippers off before stepping onto tatami mats, and leave them neatly outside the room. Walk on tatami in socks or bare feet.
- Carpets in Western-style rooms: Follow your host. In many homes, slippers are fine.
Going barefoot in someone's home is seen as a little too casual in formal situations. If you are wearing sandals without socks, it is a good idea to carry a clean pair of socks to put on.
3. Toilet Slippers: The Mistake Everyone Makes
In homes, ryokan and some restaurants, the toilet room has its own pair of slippers, often plastic and sometimes labelled with the word "toilet" (トイレ). When you go to the toilet, leave your indoor slippers outside the door and put on the toilet slippers.
The most common foreign-visitor mistake, according to japan-guide.com, is forgetting to change back. Toilet slippers must stay in the toilet. Walking into a dining room wearing them is the one shoe mistake that will make people laugh, or wince. While you are there, our guide to Japanese toilets explains all the buttons.
4. Where You Will Take Off Your Shoes as a Visitor
The genkan rule applies anywhere with a raised indoor floor. As a traveller, these are the places you are most likely to meet it:
| Place | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Ryokan (traditional inns) | Some take your shoes at the main entrance and give you slippers. Others let you walk to your room in shoes, where your room has its own small genkan. See our ryokan guide. |
| Temples, castles and historic houses | Many halls and towers ask you to remove shoes. You may be given a plastic bag to carry them or use shoe shelves. Watch for signs and staff. |
| Restaurants with tatami seating | Izakaya and traditional restaurants with raised seating areas ask you to take shoes off before stepping up. Some have lockers with wooden keys. |
| Onsen and sento | Shoes come off at the entrance and go into a shoe locker. See our onsen guide. |
| Clothing shop fitting rooms | Many fitting rooms have a slightly raised floor. Take your shoes off and leave them outside the curtain. |
| Some schools, clinics and offices | Older buildings may have shoe lockers and slippers at the entrance. |
The easiest signal is a change in floor height or a row of shoes and slippers at an entrance. If you see either, stop and look around before walking in.
5. Fitting Rooms and Face Covers
Clothing shops in Japan often surprise visitors. In many stores you take off your shoes before stepping into the fitting room, and you may be handed a thin disposable face cover to wear while pulling clothes over your head. It keeps make-up off the clothes. If you are unsure, ask staff: "Shichaku shite mo ii desu ka?" (試着してもいいですか) means "May I try this on?" Staff will usually show you what to do. Our Japanese phrases guide has more useful lines.
6. Why Japan Takes Shoes Off
The custom is old and practical. Traditional Japanese homes were built with raised wooden floors and tatami mats, and people sat, ate and slept close to the floor. Keeping street dirt out mattered. Tatami is also delicate: the woven surface is easy to scratch and hard to clean. Today, even modern apartments keep a genkan, and most Japanese people would find wearing outdoor shoes indoors unthinkable.
7. Practical Tips for Your Trip
- Wear easy shoes. On a day of temples and castles, you may take your shoes off five or six times. Laceless shoes save a lot of time.
- Bring good socks. Your socks will be on show. Pack pairs without holes.
- Carry a small bag. Some sites ask you to carry your shoes with you. A plastic or cloth bag helps.
- Watch your hosts. When in doubt, copy what the people in front of you do.
- Winter boots: Tall lace-up boots are slow to remove. In snowy areas, choose boots with a side zip. Our winter clothing guide has more ideas.
Frequently Asked Questions
In Western-style hotels, no. You can wear shoes in the room, and slippers are usually provided. In ryokan and some guesthouses with tatami rooms, yes.
Not in the grounds. You only take them off when you enter certain buildings, such as some temple halls. Signs and shoe shelves will tell you.
No. Take your slippers off before stepping onto tatami and walk in socks or bare feet.
If there is a step up to a raised seating area, take your shoes off before stepping up. Use the shoe lockers or shelves if there are any, or leave them neatly where staff indicate.
Conclusion
Remember the genkan line and you have learned the most important rule: shoes on the lower floor, socks and slippers above it, toilet slippers only in the toilet, and nothing but socks on tatami. Wear shoes that slip off easily and pack tidy socks, and you will move through homes, temples and inns like a local. For more etiquette, read our Japan etiquette guide and Japan walking etiquette.
Sources
- japan-guide.com — Indoor manners: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2001.html
- nippon.com — A Basic Guide to Japanese Etiquette: https://www.nippon.com/en/guide-to-japan/gu020004/
- nippon.com — Slippers in Japan: https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-glances/jg00129/
- All About — Shoe etiquette at the genkan (Japanese): https://allabout.co.jp/gm/gc/460066/