This is the view from the outside of the house. This house is surrounded by the bamboo fence.
This house is surrounded by concrete wall. Usually each house is surrounded by some kind of fence.
As you can see from the picture, there is a name plate in front of the house. This house has an intercom, too.
Japan is a small country but the population is approximately 130 million. Most people live in big cities, so compared to America, each house is a lot smaller. Let's go inside the house.
There is an entrance called "Genkan". Usually the door is shut, so when you visit someone, you open the door and say, "Gomen kudasai( Hello)" if there is no buzzer.
When you enter the house, you take off your shoes at Genkan. Usually the inside of the house is higher than Genkan. When you take off your shoes, you turn the tip of the shoes to the outside of the house. Ijikevich