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My own personal slippers
First time
walking into my share house, I was told to take off my shoes and come on
upstairs. So I took off my sandals, left them in my designated spot then
proceeded to walk upstairs. A few minutes later, while walking up more flights
of stairs my house manager let out a little gasp then exclaimed “Where are your
slippers!?” I hadn’t been aware that I was supposed to put any on. He seemed
mildly uncomfortable but has become accustomed to me walking around the house
without slippers.
However, I have grown to like
slippers. They not only keep my feet clean, but they maintain a cleanliness
throughout the entire house. With 18 people sharing a five story house, it can
get unhygienic especially the bathrooms. I have found that Japanese society
values hygiene more so than what I had experienced in America. The Japanese I
have been living tend to take a shower every night, wash their clothes several
times a week, and enforce cleaning in the household. One of the main rules of
my share house is to clean twice a week and we have designated cleaning
managers to remind us all to do our work. The foreigners who have previously
lived in the share house are more unwilling to put in the extra effort to clean
our common space but after living in Japan for several months, one is able to
appreciate the aesthetic and practicality of keeping one’s living space clean.
It de-clutters the mind and helps to live a lengthy and more organized life.
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