Why Do Japanese Sit On The Floor To Eat
The formal way of sitting for both genders is kneeling seiza as shown on the picture below.
Why do japanese sit on the floor to eat. This very simple ancient practice of sitting on the floor while eating is done with a unique asana yoga posture of our body which has many health benefits. Ok you do wear shoes in shops and many restaurants but if it s a floor that s going to be sat on then shoes are an absolute no no that would be the western equivalent of walking all over your sofa and chairs. Japanese are known for their strong discipline and their pride in culture so it is no shock that they still continue to practice that tradition with strictness and pleasure.
Having much furniture like chairs wouldn t be a good thing. It s because people sit on the floor that you don t ever wear outside shoes inside. They feel that digestion and circulation is better.
Sitting on the floor is also customary during the tea ceremony and other traditional events. The stools may be very short making it appear as if they are sitting on the floor. The japanese however do sit on the floor to.
When you sit and eat on the floor you usually sit cross legged in an asana known as sukhasana or a half padmasna. Chairs were reportedly introduced to china around 700 years ago. Lastly sleeping and eating on the floor preserve space.
Japanese however do sit on the floor to eat. Japan also experiences many earthquakes. The main reason why the japanese prefer floor seats to chairs is tradition.
Another reason why they sleep and eat on the floor is that the soft tatami mats don t allow for heavy furniture because it would leave marks on the floors. These yogic poses are well known in aiding digestion it is believed that when one sits in this pose while preparing to eat there is an automatic signal for your brain to prepare for digestion. The chinese still have lots of customs that they practice and live by but their culture had.