Genkan

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Genkan ( Japanese 玄関 ) is the entrance area in traditional Japanese apartments or houses, comparable to the porch in Europe. It forms the transition between the outer (soto) and inner area (uchi) . There the street shoes are placed on the floor or in a shoe cupboard ( 下 駄 箱 , geta bako ), as the interior should only be entered with stockings or special slippers . The shoes are traditionally placed so that the tips point away from the apartment.

Compared to the mostly ground floor Genkan , the adjoining living area (ima) is often raised by one step. This clearly separates the areas in which shoes or house slippers are worn. In larger houses, the Genkan is often reserved for visitors and guests, while family members enter through a back entrance.

Also with Genkan the vestibule at the entrance of a Zen monastery is called and the entrance to the local guest rooms.

In Korea

Korean spelling
Korean alphabet : 됫돌
Hanja : 土 房
Revised Romanization : doeddol
McCune-Reischauer : detdol

In Korea , such an anteroom is an essential element of home decor. This small area is planned directly at the entrance door to the house or apartment, usually one step lower than the heated floor, which is strictly avoided to walk on with street shoes.

The Hanja term ( Chinese  土 房 , Pinyin tǔ fáng ) is phonetically transferred into Korean with 토방 ( to bang ).

photos

  • Genkan of Komoro-honjin Omoya in Komoro , Nagano

  • A Genkan, view from the door into the house

  • View from the inside to the door

  • In Korea (토방 Tobang ) Here, almost all shoes are parked in a completely illegal manner

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