shoes

It is only in Japan where visitors might need instructions to keep their shoes ON when entering a museum (this photo: the cultural history museum at Okinawa World). In case you don't know, it is customary to remove your shoes upon entering a number of different places in Japan including homes, schools, many restaurants, a gymnasium, a library, etc. There is usually a shoe shelf or cupboard on/in which you place your shoes. My house, for instance, has a small entrance way with a shoe cupboard, and then a step up into the house proper. If you will continue to walk after the removal of the shoes (say in a museum) plastic indoor flippers are probably going to be provided for you. These can be called "indoor" shoes. Sometimes they aren't provided for you. You'll have to go barefoot and be looked at funny if you forget to bring your own indoor slippers or at least socks to change into. Like me, every time we have an assembly in the gym at school. Assemblies in the gym are funny though, because you'll see scary looking serious dudes in suits (like the discipline teacher) and then look down to see that they are wearing flower-patterned indoor slippers that are literally 3 inches shorter than their foot... they've just grabbed one of the communal pairs and are shuffling about in them. I really need to sneak a photo of this. If you don't have to continue walking after removing your shoes (in a restaurant, where you will sit down for example) no shoes are provided. you sit barefoot. However, pairs of plastic slippers will be placed at evenly spaced intervals at the step-down from the eating table areas for people who are walking to the bathroom. It would be horribly embarrassing if one were to walk out off the table area into the restaurant barefoot. I wonder if gaijin do this ever?

That was your cultural lesson for today. Perhaps next you'll get the story of Sandi and the nattomaki.