Genkan

Genkan (玄関) are traditional Japanese entryway areas for a house, apartment, or building, a combination of a porch and a doormat.

The primary function of genkan is for the removal of shoes before entering the main part of the house or building.

[2] Once inside, generally one will change into uwabaki (上履き): slippers or shoes intended for indoor wear.

In private residences, getabako may be absent, and shoes are usually turned to face the door so they can be slipped on easily when leaving.

The custom of removing one's shoes before entering the house is believed to go back over one thousand years to the pre-historical era of elevated-floor structures.