The Cultural Meaning of Uwabaki
In Japan, compulsory education lasts for nine years, from elementary school for six years to junior high for three.
After that, almost all students—98.6% last year—continue to high school for another three years.
Throughout these years, almost all Japanese elementary, junior high, and high schools require students to wear special indoor shoes called uwabaki.
This means that when students enter the school building, they take off their outdoor shoes and change into uwabaki before attending classes.
I believe that this uwabaki system is adopted from an educational standpoint based on ideas of sociality, hygiene management, and order in a school’s communal life. Furthermore, Japanese students clean their own classrooms and other spaces they use.
After the school day ends, and before they head home, students—either all together or on a rotating schedule—clean the school themselves.
I think the role of the uwabaki is to keep the classrooms clean, which in turn reduces the burden of cleaning for the students.
🏫 What is the Custom of Changing into “Uwabaki” at Japanese Schools?
Here is the basic process of the uwabaki custom:
The majority of Japanese schools have an entryway called the shoko-guchi(entrance) that separates the school building from the outdoors and the schoolyard.
- Take off shoes at the shoko-guchi: When students arrive at school, they first take off their outdoor shoes in this entryway.
- Store shoes in a locker: They neatly place their shoes in a locker, or shoko-guchi, which is assigned to them by number or name.
- Change into uwabaki: They take their uwabaki from the top shelf of the locker and change into them.
- Move within the school building: Wearing their uwabaki, they move to classrooms, hallways, and special rooms.
It’s also common to change into dedicated shoes for specific locations, such as gymnasium shoes for the gym or sandals for the swimming pool.
In places like home economics or science labs, they may also change into special slippers.
🕰️ Historical and Cultural Background
The custom of removing shoes to learn is said to have existed in terakoya (temple schools) during the Edo period.
The uwabaki system itself is said to have begun during the Meiji period (1868-1912). At that time, many schools were built by converting terakoya, private homes, or temples, so rooms with tatami mats were not uncommon.
- An Extension of Home Habits: The habit of taking off shoes at home was directly applied to schools.
- Post-War Standardization: After the war, the “two-shoe system” (outdoor shoes + uwabaki) was established in schools nationwide for hygiene and educational purposes. Uwabaki became an educational tool and a form of “etiquette for entering a space.”
- Characteristics of Traditional Japanese Footwear: Traditional Japanese footwear like geta and zori were easy to put on and take off, making them suitable for the habit of frequently changing footwear.
🎯 The Purpose and Meaning of Uwabaki
- Thorough Hygiene and Cleaning The main reason is to keep the school building clean.
Unlike schools in other countries where floors are designed for outdoor shoes, floors in Japanese schools are often made of more delicate materials.- Preventing Dirt: The uwabaki system prevents dirt and mud from being tracked in from outside, which helps keep floors, stairs, and classrooms clean.
- Student Cleaning: As mentioned, Japanese students clean their own school. By minimizing dirt, the uwabaki reduce the burden of cleaning and allow students to maintain their environment efficiently.
- A Mental Switch for Space Changing from outdoor shoes to uwabaki creates an awareness of entering a “place of learning.” It serves a ritualistic purpose of switching one’s mindset.
- Educational Order Uwabaki may also be a different color or have a name tag to identify a student’s grade or class, which helps in group management. The habit of neatly arranging shoes also contributes to the education of manners and organization.
🧠 Educational and Psychological Perspective
The uwabaki custom plays an educational role beyond just hygiene management.
The psychological effect of changing into uwabaki to enter “school mode” has been a valued part of Japanese education.
The Japanese sense of space, where taking off shoes means “knowing your place,” is also reflected in school education.
The distinction between “inside” and “outside” fosters an awareness of the school as a special place for learning and community.
This trains students in discipline and cooperation in a group setting.
✨ The Beauty of Culture in a Simple Act
While the custom of taking off shoes at home shows “respect for a sacred space,” the habit of changing shoes at school embodies the “aesthetics of social order and transition.” Both gestures reveal a deep-seated Japanese consciousness of “revering the space.”
What About Universities?
Unlike elementary, junior high, and high schools, most Japanese universities are “shoes-on” environments.
This is a result of adopting international campus architectural styles and prioritizing convenience for students who move between classes more frequently.
As such, the uwabaki custom in Japanese schools is a unique culture formed by a mix of hygiene management, education, and history.
🌀 A Current Trend: The Movement to Abolish Uwabaki
Recently, a movement to abolish uwabaki and adopt a “one-pair system” where students wear their outdoor shoes inside has been growing.
This is mainly due to a desire to reduce the burden on parents and improve school efficiency.
This trend is particularly noticeable in urban areas like Tokyo’s Minato Ward.
The main reasons for abolishing uwabaki are:
- Reducing Burden: It eliminates the need for parents to buy, label, and wash uwabaki.
- Improving Efficiency: It prevents overcrowding at the entrance and allows for faster evacuation in case of disaster.
- Adapting to Modern Times: Schoolyards are now often paved or use artificial turf, which means shoes get less dirty. Also, cleaning methods have evolved with better vacuums and professional cleaning services.
While uwabaki are a symbol of Japanese school culture, the habit is changing to meet modern needs for safety and convenience. However, there are examples of schools that abolished the uwabaki system only to bring it back.
The debate continues as schools search for the best way to balance tradition and practicality.
You Might Also Like
・Why You Should Always Take Your Shoes Off in Japan