''Agura'' (, lit., "foreign/barbarian sitting"; also called ''anza'' ) is the Japanese term for the position normally referred to as sitting cross-legged in English.

Description

The buttocks are on the floor (or on a cushion set on the floor) and the legs are out in front, with the knees bent and each foot crossed beneath the other leg.

Cultural background

In Japan, this posture is considered an informal alternative to the ''

seiza ): "proper/correct sitting", seiza ( ja, , link=no): "quiet sitting" , Jing zuo '' Seiza '' ( or , literally "proper sitting") is the formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan. Form To sit ''seiza''-style, one must first be kneeling on the ...

'' (proper sitting) position, though it is generally considered unfeminine and uncouth for women if sitting in skirts or certain types of traditional clothing, such as the kimono (mostly due to where the opening is in a premodern kimono, and women seldom wore undergarments; whereas, under certain circumstances, men could appear in public wearing their undergarment, the ''

fundoshi is a traditional Japanese undergarment for adult males and females, made from a length of cotton. Before World War II, the was the main form of underwear for Japanese men and women. However, it fell out of use quickly after the war with the ...

''). It may also be considered impolite to sit in this manner in the presence of a superior or elders, unless permitted to do so.

References

External links

* Japanese culture Human positions Sitting {{Japan-culture-stub