In Japan, the space where you remove your shoes has a name.
It’s called the genkan.

It’s not a hallway and not quite inside.
It sits lower than the rest of the home - a physical pause before you step up and enter properly.

The genkan isn’t treated as a feature.
It’s just there, doing its quiet work.

You stop.
You take your shoes off.
You adjust.

The shift is small, but deliberate.
Outside stays outside.
Inside begins without announcement.

You arrive having already slowed down.