297:
453:. The ankles are turned outward as the tops of the feet are lowered so that, in a slight "V" shape, the tops of the feet are flat on the floor and big toes overlapped, the right always on top of the left, and the buttocks are finally lowered all the way down. Depending on the circumstances, the hands are folded modestly in the lap, or are placed palm down on the upper thighs with the fingers close together, or are placed on the floor next to the hips, with the knuckles rounded and touching the floor. The back is kept straight, though not unnaturally stiff. Traditionally, women sit with the knees together while men separate them slightly. Some martial arts, notably
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85:
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44:
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481:
695:
659:, whereby the compression of the nerves causes a loss of their blood flow, with the accompanying "pins and needles" feeling, followed by painful burning sensations, and then eventually complete numbness in the legs. However, the physical discomfort lessens with experience as the circulation of the blood improves. Experienced
607:-style on carpeted and hardwood floors. In many martial arts, for instance, this sitting position generally takes place on hardwood floors. Depending on the formality of the occasion, the setting, and the relative status of the person, it is sometimes acceptable to sit on a special cushion called a
674:
stools are available in Japan. They are folding stools, small enough to be carried in a handbag, which are placed between the feet and on which one rests the buttocks when sitting seiza-style. They allow one to maintain the appearance of sitting seiza while discreetly taking pressure off the heels
569:
The posture serves as the standard floor sitting posture for most traditional formal occasions, and it is generally considered the respectful way to sit in the presence of superiors or elders unless otherwise permitted. There is a similar sitting posture in India called
910:, is considered informal: it is appropriate for certain situations but not others. It is common in informal situations, such as eating at a low table in a casual restaurant, and allowed in formal situations especially for those for whom
538:(thick straw mats), combined with the strict formalities of the ruling warrior class for which this style of architecture was principally designed, heralded the adoption of the sitting posture known today as
1008:
requires coming to a kneeling position momentarily, with the heels propped up; if one remains seated on the heels with the balls of the feet touching the floor and toes flexed forward, it is called
663:
practitioners can maintain the posture for forty minutes or more with minimal discomfort. Certain knee problems are made worse when assuming this position, specifically
574:. It would be done during a form of yoga and practiced during visiting temples and doing prayer in temples. Indians believe that this posture has health benefits.
472:
is performed mindfully. There are codified traditional methods of entering and exiting the sitting position depending on occasion and type of clothing worn.
1134:
566:, it had become firmly established as the proper sitting posture, as part of the "Japanese culture and tradition" purposefully created during this time.
528:
People's social circumstances, clothing styles, and the places where they sat naturally brought about their manners of sitting. The development, in the
948:) without risk of exposure, so an alternative informal sitting posture has both legs off to one side, with one side of the hips on the floor, termed
834:
417:-style is often difficult for people who are not accustomed to it or for the physically infirm, such as injured people and the elderly. Sitting
806:
To perform this knee-walking movement correctly the heels must be kept close together, and the body must move as a whole unit. Movement in
651:-style. Non-Japanese who have not grown up sitting in this posture may, however, have difficulty assuming it at all. Those unfamiliar with
1098:
554:
as a symbol of obedience and loyalty. However, it probably was not until around the years surrounding the turn of the 18th century (the
95:
683:
562:
eras in
Japanese history) that the Japanese generally adopted this manner of sitting in their everyday lives and during the
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863:
343:
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741:(flower arranging), though with the increasing use of western-style furniture it is not always necessary nowadays.
216:
125:
1221:
944:, etc.) are impossible to do in skirts or certain types of women's traditional clothing (such as the premodern
201:
110:
664:
405:
pillows that allow for comfortable sitting, and it is commonly used in several
Japanese practices, including
223:
132:
994:
posture, whereby the buttocks are on the floor and the lower legs are bent off to their respective sides.
230:
139:
1231:
421:-style for long periods of time is associated with health problems, particularly those of the knees.
723:
1226:
212:
121:
643:
Sometimes stools are provided for elderly or injured people even when others are expected to sit
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for extended periods of time as a morally unacceptable form of punishment according to Japan's
197:
57:
718:
586:
489:
410:
406:
312:
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1116:
625:
503:
referred to "correct sitting", which took various forms such as sitting cross-legged (胡坐,
8:
893:
810:
forces one to engage the hips in a way that is considered valuable for aikido training.
713:
is an integral and required part of several traditional
Japanese arts, such as certain
1236:
1142:
647:-style. It is recommended, particularly in formal situations, to at least try to sit
1166:
655:
will likely find that maintaining it for more than a minute or two tends to lead to
1241:
1079:
571:
426:
237:
146:
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period, of
Japanese architecture in which the floors were completely covered with
1135:"Traditional Japanese sitting style to be recognized as punishment under new law"
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position so as to convey respect, particularly toward elders. It developed among
1023:. If one then lowers the tops of the feet to the floor, one then will be in the
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326:
841:
106:
499:, there were no standard postures for sitting on the floor. During this time,
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may be compared to similar seated positions in other cultures, such as Indian
1215:
1146:
789:
is today quite rare, but is found in some traditional formal restaurants and
465:, may prescribe up to two fist widths of distance between the knees for men.
300:
1099:"IroMegane: Is Seiza really the traditional way to sit for Japanese people?"
445:
on the floor, folding one's legs underneath one's thighs, while resting the
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656:
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is also the traditional way of sitting while doing other arts such as
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involves sitting down on the floor and not on a chair. In traditional
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785:, is considered more polite than standing up and walking regularly.
458:
179:
84:
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32:
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799:, where practitioners learn to defend themselves while moving in
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still have audience seating sections where the spectators sit in
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to sit in this manner when meeting authority figures such as the
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flooring. There are circumstances, however, when people sit
988:, "w-sitting" or "reverse tailor style sitting" in English)
749:
699:
450:
1041:, so as not to sprain the instep jumping up directly from
694:
744:
Many theatres for traditional performing arts such as
375:. It involves a specific positioning and posture in a
971:
Another informal sitting posture for women is called
702:
practitioner at right performs a bow while seated in
678:
A law that came into effect in April 2020 recognizes
344:
589:, floors in various rooms designed for comfort have
102:
542:as the respectful way to sit. By the middle of the
204:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
25:): "proper/correct sitting". For seiza (Japanese:
932:A seated samurai holding his sword with one hand.
1213:
813:
721:(a table-style version of tea ceremony known as
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307:(then-current Prime Minister of Japan) sitting
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387:and was later widely adopted by the public.
111:introducing citations to additional sources
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72:Learn how and when to remove these messages
689:
864:Learn how and when to remove this message
795:, and is practiced in the martial art of
282:Learn how and when to remove this message
264:Learn how and when to remove this message
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927:
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101:Relevant discussion may be found on the
835:not related to the topic of the article
517:), while the posture commonly known as
19:This article is about seiza (Japanese:
1214:
684:Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
509:), sitting with one knee raised (立て膝,
1033:, practitioners stand up to draw the
985:literally "separate or split sitting"
817:
367:) is the formal, traditional way of
202:adding citations to reliable sources
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78:
37:
1037:and cut after momentarily assuming
727:was invented in the 19th century).
13:
14:
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914:is difficult, such as elderly or
546:, it had become a convention for
53:This article has multiple issues.
1192:"Jisho.org: Japanese Dictionary"
1167:"Jisho.org: Japanese Dictionary"
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178:
94:relies largely or entirely on a
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42:
959:, literally "sideways sitting")
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599:thus is closely connected with
513:), or sitting to the side (割座,
189:needs additional citations for
61:or discuss these issues on the
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1027:position. In some schools of
303:(Prime Minister of India) and
1:
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844:or discuss this issue on the
814:Alternative sitting positions
936:Some sitting postures (e.g.
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441:-style, one must first be
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665:Osgood-Schlatter disease
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31:): "quiet sitting", see
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690:Use in traditional arts
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16:Japanese way of sitting
1139:The Japan Times Online
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904:Sitting cross-legged,
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1222:East Asian traditions
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833:may contain material
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490:Japanese tea ceremony
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407:Japanese martial arts
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842:improve this section
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107:improve this article
1117:"正座は日本の文化，でも明治の文化。"
916:non-Japanese people
894:Sakakibara Yasumasa
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1199:. Retrieved
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854:January 2023
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840:Please help
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191:verification
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55:Please help
52:
896:sitting in
657:paresthesia
636:style on a
484:A woman in
383:during the
1216:Categories
1152:2019-12-04
1086:References
1004:To sit in
950:yokozuwari
923:Yokozuwari
675:and feet.
544:Edo period
497:Edo period
413:. Sitting
385:Edo period
305:Shinzō Abe
224:newspapers
133:newspapers
58:improve it
1196:jisho.org
1171:jisho.org
1147:0447-5763
846:talk page
572:vajrasana
564:Meiji era
530:Muromachi
427:Vajrasana
348:-(ee)-zah
163:July 2010
103:talk page
64:talk page
1237:Kneeling
1064:See also
942:tatehiza
900:position
670:Special
595:floors.
511:tatehiza
447:buttocks
443:kneeling
409:and the
33:Jing zuo
1242:Sitting
1018:跪座 / 跪坐
756:style.
739:ikebana
638:zabuton
610:zabuton
556:Genroku
548:samurai
476:History
449:on the
437:To sit
402:zabuton
381:samurai
377:kneeled
369:sitting
356:
238:scholar
213:"Seiza"
147:scholar
122:"Seiza"
1201:3 July
1176:3 July
1145:
1075:Kowtow
973:wariza
966:Wariza
946:kimono
808:shikkō
801:shikkō
797:aikido
792:ryokan
787:Shikkō
773:shikkō
761:Shikkō
746:kabuki
724:ryūrei
709:Doing
601:tatami
592:tatami
552:Shogun
535:tatami
525:(危座).
515:wariza
461:, and
459:aikidō
396:tatami
240:
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1054:iaido
1052:This
1043:seiza
1035:sword
1030:iaido
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1006:seiza
992:seiza
938:agura
912:seiza
907:agura
898:agura
885:Agura
878:Agura
768:seiza
754:seiza
734:shodō
729:Seiza
711:seiza
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680:seiza
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661:seiza
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649:seiza
645:seiza
634:seiza
615:futon
605:seiza
597:Seiza
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578:Floor
560:Kyōhō
540:seiza
519:seiza
506:agura
501:seiza
486:seiza
470:seiza
463:iaidō
455:kendō
451:heels
439:seiza
423:Seiza
419:seiza
415:seiza
391:Seiza
373:Japan
320:Seiza
309:seiza
245:JSTOR
231:books
154:JSTOR
140:books
1203:2018
1178:2018
1143:ISSN
1058:kiza
1039:kiza
1011:kiza
999:Kiza
750:sumo
748:and
717:and
700:judo
698:The
617:").
523:kiza
433:Form
353:lit.
217:news
126:news
956:横座り
558:to
371:in
346:SAY
340:せいざ
331:or
200:by
109:by
1218::
1194:.
1169:.
1137:.
1119:.
1101:.
1045:.
982:,
979:割座
961:.
940:,
918:.
803:.
780:膝行
686:.
667:.
457:,
429:.
351:;
337:;
334:正坐
327:正座
67:.
28:静坐
22:正座
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