AKADAMA JAPAN

The climate of Japan is one of high-temperature and humidity. Because of that, traditional old wooden houses had raised floors to avoid the humidity. Having the floor raised keep it well ventilated to prevent it from getting moldy and being damaged from flooding. Wearing shoes for long hours makes the shoe’s inside stuffy and uncomfortable in such a humid climate and bringing any shoe’s dirt into the house is a bit unsanitary,especially when it rains. Shoes are removed at the entrance(玄関Genkan) when you come into the house. It is the same situation in present-day, even though the number of apartments have increased in Japan. Taking your shoes off and sitting down on the floor or Tatami directly makes me feel comfortable and relaxed.The reasons shoes are removed "to keep a house clean" and "in order to relax.”
There are both types of restaurants or Izakaya(*) ,where you must take your shoes off and must not take off, in Japan.To be honest, I can’t bothered to take my shoes off in a restaurant as I wear boots in the winter, or when I carelessly wear socks that have a hole…while caring of that…But when I’m tired of walking, removing shoes gives me a relaxed feeling!
(* Izakaya = Japanese style casual restaurant)