uwabaki

{{Short description|Japanese indoor footwear}}

{{More citations needed|date=June 2022}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}

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File:Uwabaki-kashiwa-feb24-2019.jpg

{{nihongo||上履き|Uwabaki}} are a type of Japanese slippers worn indoors at school{{cite web |title=Japanese Girls Selling Used Shoes On High Prices |url=https://www.animesenpai.net/japanese-girls-selling-used-shoes-on-high-prices/ |website=animesenpai.net |date=August 20, 2021 |access-date=14 March 2024}} or certain companies and public buildings where street shoes are prohibited.

Japanese culture mandates that people should remove their shoes when entering homes and other buildings, especially where the floors may have rugs, polished wood floors, or tatami. {{transliteration|ja|Uwabaki}} are light, flexible shoes which are easy to slip on and off, designated for indoor use. As they are not generally worn outside, the soles are kept clean, and thus cleaning and maintenance of the building's floors are kept to a minimum.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-03 |title=Slippers in Japan |url=https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-glances/jg00129/ |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=nippon.com |language=en}}

At the entrance of every school, from preschool to college, there is a {{transliteration|ja|genkan}} with an assigned locker ({{transliteration|ja|getabako}}) for each student to put {{transliteration|ja|uwabaki}}. A student's grade level is often indicated by a colored stripe across the toes; the body color of the slipper is always white.