Guest slippers | Heiwa Slipper

Guest slippers | Heiwa Slipper

Slipper Spirit in Japan

In Japan, the word "slipper" means all indoor footwear, and among the many kinds, none carries more meaning than the pair set aside for a guest. The custom of taking off one's shoes inside the house is one of Japan's most deeply rooted customs.

The reasons for this are due to lifestyles in Japan, with its "tatami" culture, as well as its climate and topography.

In a humid and rainy country like Japan, entering the house with one's shoes on would damage the tatami mats and wooden floors.
Because people traditionally sleep directly on the tatami floor, keeping it free of the dirt and moisture brought in from outside is especially important.
However, the manners of "take your shoes off before entering the house" mean more than just this.
There is also the matter of respect for one's host, along with the meaning of drawing a clear, deliberate boundary between the outside world and the private space of the home.
This kind of restriction on shoes is a custom in Japan, but as with the reasons Japanese style slippers were created, it can cause friction with people from other cultural backgrounds.

Because of this, slippers in Japan bear an important role aside from their physical function: they act as a quiet mediator, a quiet gesture of hospitality marking the passage between one's private world and the world "outside the house" that a guest brings in with them.

Across Japan, it is still common for households to prepare a dedicated pair of slippers for their guests.

"Slippers" remind us of the enjoyment of inviting valued guests into our homes.

If you'd like to bring that same spirit of hospitality into your own home, take a look at our collection of guest slippers.