Japanese Paramedics Urge Residents to Leave Shoes Untouched During Emergencies

While etiquette, manners, and consideration for others are fundamental to Japanese society, there are occasions when they can be taken too far, according to the city’s emergency services.

Kanazawa’s fire department has urged residents not to rearrange the shoes removed by paramedics before entering a home, warning that such tidying can impede rapid entry or exit, especially when transporting a patient on a stretcher.

An Instagram video posted on August 5, which has garnered over 500,000 views, shows firefighters demonstrating that paramedics place shoes at the entrance in precise locations, allowing three stretcher bearers to step directly into them without disturbing the patient or risking displacement of the oxygen mask.

It is customary in Japan for visitors to remove their shoes before entering a home, and hosts typically arrange the footwear so the toe points toward the doorway for easy removal upon departure.

Firefighter Daisuke Yamashita, interviewed by TBS News Dig, explained that emergency crews position their shoes based on their roles, and when a bystander rearranges them out of kindness, it can hinder proper re‑placement and delay patient transport by roughly 30 seconds.

Yamashita noted, “We appreciate the kindness shown in straightening the shoes,” adding that in emergencies it is invaluable if individuals have the patient’s My Number card or another form of identification ready in advance.

The majority of comments beneath the video thanked the firefighters for the guidance.

One commenter wrote, “I wasn’t aware of this; I’ll keep it in mind for the future.”

Another user, receiving over 800 likes, suggested that strict etiquette might be set aside during emergencies, saying, “It’s an emergency; I’d just ask them to step inside with their shoes on.”

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