Genkan ( Japanese 玄関 ) - the area at the front door, traditional for Japanese houses and apartments, is a combination of a porch and a hallway. Genkan is designed so that people entering the house take off their shoes before getting into the main part of the house. Also, the difference between the floor levels delays dirt and dust, which can get into the apartment from the street (analogue of Russian canopies ). The tiled or concrete floor of the genkan is called tataki (三 和 土).
The shoes remaining in the genkan are usually placed on the floor towards the front door, so that later it can be easily put on, or they put it in the getabako . After the incoming has taken off his shoes, he should not step on the floor of the genkan so as not to bring dirt into the house. Once in the main part of the house, the incoming one puts on slippers or removable shoes ( ubaki ).
Genkan can be found not only in residential buildings, it is often found in old-fashioned firms. In schools and sentos (public baths), the genkan is equipped with lockers or shelves for shoes .
Content
History
The tradition of taking off shoes before entering the house has existed since time immemorial; it was not influenced by the westernization of the Japanese home, which began during the Meiji period (1868-1912) [1] .
South Korea
In South Korea, the analogue of the genkan is called hyungwan (현관), it is found almost everywhere in private homes, as well as in some old buildings and in chimchilbans - public bathing and entertainment complexes.
See also
- Canopy
Notes
- ↑ Genkan (entrance) , Mini Encyclopedia.