Why does everyone make a big deal about taking shoes off in Japan

[ranmyaku]

My wife (Japanese) gets pissed (like super pissed) at me if I forget and put my feet up on the coffee table while I'm watching TV. The coffee table (in our house) is where we eat dinner. That was a hard habit to break. I did it once when the mother-in-law came to visit when we were still dating. lol.

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by spoonybard

WTF?! Who even does that?! This is one of the few instances where I've been enraged by Japan(because they act like they are the only ones who do this, know this, or thinks that way).

Err...
I don`t think it is Japan that is saying that they think this way - it`s the specific place where you read that. My husband will fold laundry and sit socks on the table to sort them... And the other clothes up on other furniture as they are folded to get them out of the way.

Are you sure it wasn`t about socks while still on feet? Because I know a LOT of people outside Japan who think it`s perfectly okay to stick their socked feet up on the table. (Not a dining table with chairs - think the low tables people sit around on the floor to eat) These same people wouldn`t do it with bare feet or with shoes on, but seem to have no qualms if they have socks on. I would guess that is what the passage is about.

[spoonybard]

No, he said that you couldn't fold clean socks on the dinner table, because since they were covering the feet and feet are used for walking(XD), even if they were just washed they were still viewed as dirty.

[dirtyroboto]

Tatami are very expensive and very delicate. You should not even wear slippers on tatami.
But before you can even make that mistake you will leave your shoes at the door. Man, you can stick 100 chopsticks in your rice and you won't even get close to the offence you will cause by keeping your shoes on. You would cause less offence by arriving naked!

Footware is a part of the earth elemental and is not allowed into the house beyond the front door. This space (where you find shoes) is considered a meeting point between outside and inside. The inside of a persons house/apartment/room is required to be clean (spiritually) less you invite bad energy upon yourself, Shoe's can pick up all sorts of bad shit (energy) and transfer this to your lovely space. Wood and straw (tatami) are very good at taking this bad energy up, and as most Japanese houses have woodern flooring and sometimes tatami it is required that you not contaminate a persons home with bad energy.

[TalnSG]

Originally Posted by dirtyroboto

Footware is a part of the earth elemental and is not allowed into the house beyond the front door. This space (where you find shoes) is considered a meeting point between outside and inside. The inside of a persons house/apartment/room is required to be clean (spiritually) less you invite bad energy upon yourself, Shoe's can pick up all sorts of bad shit (energy) and transfer this to your lovely space. Wood and straw (tatami) are very good at taking this bad energy up, and as most Japanese houses have woodern flooring and sometimes tatami it is required that you not contaminate a persons home with bad energy.

Thanks for adding that. At the time I posted I could not quite get my wording about that aspect clear without getting way to pedantic.

[manganimefan227]

I'm never going to let people walk with shoes ( In my future house), I just met some transparent possums, they don't exactly like shoe punches. The next thing you know, you'll start to hear evil laughter . . .and it goes down hill from there . . .

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by dirtyroboto

Footware is a part of the earth elemental and is not allowed into the house beyond the front door. This space (where you find shoes) is considered a meeting point between outside and inside. The inside of a persons house/apartment/room is required to be clean (spiritually) less you invite bad energy upon yourself, Shoe's can pick up all sorts of bad shit (energy) and transfer this to your lovely space. Wood and straw (tatami) are very good at taking this bad energy up, and as most Japanese houses have woodern flooring and sometimes tatami it is required that you not contaminate a persons home with bad energy.

That sounds all nice and poetic, but if you actually ask anyone they just say it`s because it is dirty and will screw the floors up. Normal people don`t have any sort of mysticism attached to it - it`s just something you don`t do.

[dirtyroboto]

Like in the west, people don't open umberellas in the house but it's no big deal in Japan.
In the west people have forgotten why you don't open them in the house. It dates back to gas lighting and women's fashion of carrying a lace umbrella (for sun protection) and extending this to an indoor accessory. They soon found out the hard way that naked flame and lace do not mix.

Japanese who own dogs NEVER let the dog on tatami. and normally wash the dogs feet before letting it down on the floor. My friend lets her pooch into the garden then has to carry it to the shower to wash it's paws before it is allowed onto the floor. This happens alot.

There is also a long forgotten custom in Japan that you must never touch your pillow with your feet. Doing so, even brushing it slightly while moving it requires that you touch the pillow to your forehead three times while reciting a mantra.

[manganimefan227]

XD That sounds fun! (The pillowd thing)

[Nyororin]

Originally Posted by dirtyroboto

Japanese who own dogs NEVER let the dog on tatami. and normally wash the dogs feet before letting it down on the floor. My friend lets her pooch into the garden then has to carry it to the shower to wash it's paws before it is allowed onto the floor. This happens alot.

I agree with you on the washing of the feet - they even sell disposable wipes so that you can wipe the feet off on coming inside... But EVERY Japanese I know with a dog/dogs lets them on to the tatami. They don`t shut them in a tatami room (because they tend to dig at the corners it seems) - but I have yet to meet someone who didn`t let their dog on to the tatami. In fact, our upstairs neighbor has all the dog beds lined up in the only tatami room. (They have 3 small dogs)