Japanese People Sitting On Floor
The word seiza 正座 means literally correct sitting with knees together back straight and buttocks resting on ankles.
Japanese people sitting on floor. They will probably forgive you if you commit some major faux pas. To sit seiza place your knees on the floor and rest your buttock on the top of your feet. Although for occidentals might seem like it is a part of the ancient history when visiting some. Surprisingly seiza is a quite new custom for japanese people.
Seiza involves sitting down on the floor and not on a chair. They eat dinner sitting on the floor and then after taking a bath the japanese pull a futon out of their closet and spread it out on the floor. This form of meditation is similar to religious practices with buddhist influence. There are circumstances however when people sit seiza style on carpeted and hardwood floors.
In other word seiza was formed in the late 19th century by learning at schools and became the formal way of sitting for japanese people. In traditional japanese architecture floors in various rooms designed for comfort have tatami floors. The japanese have used seiza as long as they ve had clothes that required a formal modest seated posture since well before. Once they have found an efficient solution to things they will hardly move on from it and hence will stick with it.
Sitting on the floor is also customary during the tea ceremony and other traditional events. Sitting upright on the floor is common in many situations in japan. 14 reasons you should bow in japan how to bow in social situations in japan. The first association on seeing people sitting on the floor is connected with the eastern cultures.
There are many ways of sitting on the floor. There are actually many possible positions that one may opt for while meditating. Seiza meditation which is the polite and formal way to sit. Types of sitting on floor by japanese.
The japanese eat and sleep on the floor. On the other hand sitting on the floor keeps your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed as well as pushed back. If you are dining with japanese people they will understand that you don t know the rules. The formal way of sitting for both genders is kneeling seiza as shown on the picture below people who are not used to sit in seiza style may become.
Sitting standing walking and lying down. For example meals are traditionally held on a tatami floor around a low table. When compared to the asian countries people in the west have weak backs and the reason is clear slumping onto the couches chairs hunching over the desks and hours of sitting before the computers. The japanese are also known to stick with their traditions and way of life.
According to a specialist in mind body interventions of ancient japanese hidemasa yatabe the concept of seiza and even the name was created by the government structured in the meiji period.