A clean place to pray: tatami and shoes

In Japan and Korea you can pray on a clean carpet, polished wood or tatami, as long as your own standard for a clean prayer space is met, and a light prayer mat helps in all of them. Shoes are off at most indoor entrances, so keep clean socks ready. If your parents find the floor hard, a chair or stool is a plan, not a compromise.

What floors will I meet?

Three surfaces cover most rooms.

• Tatami: a woven mat floor in traditional Japanese rooms, soft and slightly springy. Shoes are never worn on it.
• Carpet: in hotels, offices and some prayer rooms. Check that it looks clean and dry before you spread your mat.
• Wood or tile: in shops, stations and some Korean rooms with heated floors. These are firm, and colder in winter.

In an unfamiliar room, a prayer mat gives you a clean, known surface and a clear direction. It also lets you pray without worrying about what the floor has seen.

How do I handle shoes?

Shoes come off at the entrance of a home, a traditional inn and some restaurants. Look for a raised step, a shoe rack, a row of slippers or a small sign.

• Wear socks that you are happy to be seen in, and carry a spare pair.
• Slip shoes off quickly, and keep a small bag if there is no rack.
• Do not step on the raised floor in outdoor shoes.
• In a prayer room, shoes usually go at the door. Follow the rack.

Slippers provided for the corridor are usually removed before a tatami room. If you use a hotel slipper to walk to the bathroom, remember to change before prayer.

Is the floor clean for prayer?

Ask yourself three questions. Does the floor look clean and dry? Is there anything on it that bothers you, such as a spill or something sticky? Do you have a mat?

If the answer to the first is yes, the second no and the third yes, you are set. If you are uncertain about purity rules for floors, socks or shoes, ask your own ustaz or your state mufti office before you travel. It is better to have the answer before you stand at the door.

What about older parents?

Floors are the main comfort issue for older parents. Sitting down and standing up from tatami can be hard on knees, and cold floors can be tiring.

Ask your parents what they do at home, and plan around it: a stool or chair in the room, a thicker mat, or praying on the bed edge where that suits them. In a traditional stay, ask in advance whether a chair or a raised seat is available. Our guide to countryside traditional stays in Japan and Korea covers more of what to ask.

What should I pack and confirm?

Pack a light prayer mat, two pairs of clean socks, a cloth bag for shoes and a small towel. Before you go, check each stop:

• “Is there a place indoors where we can pray, and is it carpeted or tatami?”
• “Do we need to remove shoes, and is there a rack?”
• “Is there a chair for an older guest?”

For country-specific prayer spaces, see praying in Japan and praying in South Korea. For wash areas, read wudhu in Japanese bathrooms and public toilets. The wider topic sits in prayer and daily pacing.