Shoes in a Japanese house

We Japanese take off our shoes when we enter a home.

Genkan to take off shoes

In a Japanese home, there is a kind of entry hall called "Genkan". We leave our shoes in the Genkan. Then we step up into the home.
(If you go into a Japanese-style restaurant, we do the same manner.)

In a home, we usually wear "slippers" in a home. But when entering a tatami room, we take off the slippers, too.

Slippers

Different from the western countries, we take off shoes in the home because we can keep the floor much cleaner. Traditionally most Japanese people live on the floor, (or tatami). We sit there and even sleep there. It is very important for Japanese people to keel the floor clean.

Slippers are very popular in Japan - price from 500 yen to 3,000 yen.

Cute slippers! 

My friend in the US asked me to send several pairs of slippers - he wanted to see if the American people have interest in them - however no one have interest in them. Maybe they have no idea for wearing slippers in a home.