Seiza — the traditional Japanese sitting posture
Original article by CHYI
LEE
(Adapted for Eyes on Japan by David Appleyard)
Seiza, written in two Chinese characters
 , means the ‘proper’ or
‘right’ way of sitting. This is the posture adopted on formal occasions in
traditional Japanese culture, especially when sitting on tatami mats.
In this position, the knees are bent 180 degrees with the calves tucked
under the thighs so that you sit on your heels, toes pointed.
At the beginning and end of Japanese martial arts classes, e.g. aikido,
karate, judo, etc., participants will sink into this position, teachers and
students bowing to each other in respect. Seiza is also integral to
traditional Japanese arts such as the tea
ceremony, flower arrangement or
calligraphy. It is used during Buddhist meditation and while performing on
traditional musical instruments such as the koto. In the past, the
Japanese had their daily lives based around seiza and always adopted this
formal posture for eating, reading, writing, making conversation, and
various other indoor activities.
As with the wearing of the traditional kimono, seiza is no longer
popular in modern Japanese life, and in its strictest form is usually only
practiced at funerals and other Buddhist ceremonies. Some modern-day parents
openly discourage their children from adopting this posture out of fear their legs
will 'go to sleep' after a while. Seiza is blamed for
blocking proper blood circulation and stunting growth, although I have my
doubts about this from a medical point of view.
One has to look in depth at this body position to fully understand its meaning.
The propo- nents of seiza believe it leads to an alert mind and
body. According to Ogasawara Kiyonobu, author of Nihon no Reihou
(Japanese Manners), when we consider its mental and spiritual aspects,
seiza is a peaceful and calming posture, but not one of complete rest.
Being peaceful and calm, one can adjust one’s mind and pay good
attention to the activities one is engaged in.
In the tea ceremony, adopting this 'correct posture' means not only showing courtesy
and sincerity toward the guests or tea master; it also has a significance related
to one’s field of vision and the direction of one's eyes. During the
ceremony they believe that all attendees are of equal status, and so in the tatami room,
where everybody sits at the same height on the ground, they should be able
to observe
everything at the same level. There is usually a hanging scroll of
calligraphy on the wall and out of reverence participants
should never look down on it, always up to it. This is why seiza is believed to
be the ideal sitting position; it allows us to see
others in the room as equals and to look up to something to be revered.
Owing to the modernization (or westernization) of Japanese society, the
style of architecture and clothing has changed drastically. People no
longer live in tatami-matted rooms and no longer wear the traditional
kimono in daily life. Nowadays most Japanese eat, read and
write at a table and sit down on a chair. Despite the inherent advantages
of seiza, to most people it seems strangely out of place in modern-day
society.
At the same time as Japan’s architecture and clothing have undergone
this visible trans- formation, the invisible culture of this society has
also been changed, sometimes to an extent not fully realized.
And this is not only happening in Japan; changes to our environment and
our way of doing things inevitably affect our lifestyles wherever we are
in the world. New ways of doing things may not be so much of an
issue, but changes in our core values always deserve close attention.
Practicing seiza is no longer of key importance, but being alert in mind, feeling a sense of equality between
others and ourselves, and showing respect for something worthy of respect are all
essential values we should never forget.
These values should be preserved in new shapes and forms
when the traditional ones are no longer appropriate.
© Chyi Lee 2007. All rights
reserved
Editor's note: Special thanks to the author for
kindly contributing this article to Eyes on Japan. Ms. Lee, who hails
from Penang in Malaysia, tells us she is currently studying engineering in
Tokyo and feels driven by a strong passion to explore new
things and make new discoveries. An enthusiastic blogger, she enjoys
expressing her thoughts, exchanging opinions and posting her travel pics over at
http://leechyi.multiply.com
.
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