Misplaced Pages

#369630

96-594: Seiza ( 正座 or 正坐 ; せいざ SAY -(ee)-zah ; lit.   ' proper sitting ' ) is the formal, traditional way of sitting in Japan . It involves a specific positioning and posture in a kneeled position so as to convey respect, particularly toward elders. It developed among samurai during the Edo period and was later widely adopted by the public. Seiza is associated with straw tatami flooring or zabuton pillows that allow for comfortable sitting, and it

192-442: A zabuton (literally a "sitting futon "). Sometimes stools are provided for elderly or injured people even when others are expected to sit seiza -style. It is recommended, particularly in formal situations, to at least try to sit seiza -style. Non-Japanese who have not grown up sitting in this posture may, however, have difficulty assuming it at all. Those unfamiliar with seiza will likely find that maintaining it for more than

288-423: A cause for minor breathing disorders. Though still a large proportion of the clinical practitioners attribute absence of a neutral spine posture as one of the main causes of conditions like back pain and neck pain , the relationship is not thoroughly established. It is also thought that much of so-called " poor posture " is actually just postural stress and being stuck with bad ergonomics that could be causing

384-486: A central tower or tenshu ( 天守 , lit. heaven defense) surrounded by gardens and fortified buildings. All of this was set within massive stone walls and surrounded by deep moats. The dark interiors of castles were often decorated by artists, the spaces were separated up using sliding fusuma panels and byōbu folding screens. The Shoin-zukuri style in the Muromachi period continued to be refined. Verandas linked

480-551: A culture called Kokufu bunka (lit., Japanese culture) which was suited to the Japanese climate and aesthetic sense flourished. The shinden-zukuri style, which was the architectural style of the residences of nobles in this period, showed the distinct uniqueness of Japanese architecture and permanently determined the characteristics of later Japanese architecture. Its features are an open structure with few walls that can be opened and closed with doors and shitomi and sudare ,

576-496: A distinctive keyhole shape, i.e. that of a circle interconnected with a triangle. Access was via a vertical shaft that was sealed off once the burial was completed. There was room inside the chamber for a coffin and grave goods. The mounds were often decorated with terracotta figures called haniwa . Later in the period mounds began to be located on flat ground and their scale greatly increased. Among many examples in Nara and Osaka ,

672-435: A large share of waking time by children and adolescents in a sedentary position is accumulated by media consumption in front of a screen. Japanese architecture Japanese architecture ( 日本建築 , Nihon kenchiku ) has been typified by wooden structures, elevated slightly off the ground, with tiled or thatched roofs. Sliding doors ( fusuma ) and other traditional partitions were used in place of walls, allowing

768-407: A minute or two tends to lead to paresthesia , 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 seiza practitioners can maintain

864-510: A number of secondary halls: the Hokke-dō (Lotus Sutra Hall), and the storehouse , called the Shōsō-in , and the adjoining Kōfuku-ji . This last structure is of great importance as an art-historical cache, because in it are stored the utensils that were used in the temple's dedication ceremony in 752, as well as government documents and many secular objects owned by the imperial family. Although

960-718: A priority, with buildings grouped under a single roof rather than around a garden. The gardens of the Heian period houses often became training grounds. After the fall of the Kamakura shogunate in 1333, the Ashikaga shogunate was formed, having later its seat in the Kyoto district of Muromachi. The proximity of the shogunate to the imperial court led to a rivalry in the upper levels of society which caused tendencies toward luxurious goods and lifestyles. Aristocratic houses were adapted from

1056-544: A structure in which shoes are taken off to enter the house on stilts, and sitting or sleeping directly on tatami mats without using chairs and beds. As the samurai class gained power in the Kamakura period (1185–1333), the shinden-zukuri style changed, and in the Muromachi period (1333–1573), the shoin-zukuri style appeared. This style had a lasting influence on later Japanese architectural styles and became

SECTION 10

#1732775429370

1152-417: A structure in which shoes are taken off to enter the house on stilts, sitting or sleeping directly on tatami mats without using chairs and beds, a roof made of laminated hinoki (Japanese cypress) bark instead of ceramic tiles, and a natural texture that is not painted on pillars. A Buddhist architectural style called Wayō , which developed in accordance with the Japanese climate and aesthetic sense,

1248-547: A style that was a precursor to the later aristocratic-style of building known as shinden-zukuri . The style was characterised by symmetrical buildings placed as arms that defined an inner garden. This garden then used borrowed scenery to seemingly blend with the wider landscape. A gradual increase in the size of buildings led to standard units of measurement as well as refinements in layout and garden design. In 894, Japan abolished kentōshi (Japanese missions to Tang China) and began to distance itself from Chinese culture, and

1344-426: A type of cypress called hinoki were used for roofs. It was sometime during this period that the hidden roof , a uniquely Japanese solution to roof drainage problems, was adopted. The increasing size of buildings in the capital led to an architecture reliant on columns regularly spaced in accordance with the ken , a traditional measure of both size and proportion. The imperial palace Shishinden demonstrated

1440-438: Is a significantly higher mortality rate among people who regularly sit for prolonged periods, and the risk is not negated by regular exercise, though it is lowered. The causes of mortality and morbidity include heart disease , obesity , type 2 diabetes and cancer , specifically, breast , endometrial , colorectal , lung , and epithelial ovarian cancer . The link between heart disease and diabetes mortality and sitting

1536-406: Is a wooden box made of thick boards joined in the corners in a log cabin style and supported on eight pillars. The roof is thatched but, unlike the typically hipped roof of the pit dwellings, it is a simple V-shaped gable . Some authors credit the raised structure designs of this period to contact with the rice-cultivating Austronesian peoples from coastal eastern China or Taiwan, rather than

1632-529: Is also named after various plains-dwelling nomads : in American English Indian style , in many European languages "Turkish style", and in Japanese agura ( 胡座 , The sitting style of non-Han ethnics ) . In yoga it is known as sukhasana , meaning "easy pose." Various raised surfaces at the appropriate height can be used as seats for humans, whether they are made for the purpose, such as chairs , stools and benches , or not. While

1728-456: Is also often interpreted as sitting. The British Chiropractic Association said in 2006 that 32% of the British population spent more than ten hours per day sitting down. The most common ways of sitting on the floor involve bending the knees. One can also sit with the legs unbent, using something solid as support for the back or leaning on one's arms. Sitting with bent legs can be done with

1824-935: Is any waking behaviour, whether in sitting or reclining posture, by an energy expenditure less than or equal to 1.5 metabolic equivalents of task (METs). MET, beside the watt and kilojoules, is the unit for expressing the energy cost of physical activities. One MET is defined as resting metabolic rate – as energy used with a person at rest, sitting quietly in a chair or as the amount of oxygen (O 2 ) consumed with that person. MET for an adult weighing 70 kg equals 3.5 ml O 2 per kg body weight per min. Sedentary behaviour should be distinguished from being inactive – performing insufficient amounts of MVPA (moderate to vigorous physical activity). The World Health Organization recommends at least 60 min of daily MVPA for children and adolescents aged 5–17 years, and 150 min of weekly MVPA for adults. Sedentary behaviour can not be equated with screen time, although some researchers found out that

1920-454: Is called wariza ( 割座 , literally "separate or split sitting" , "w-sitting" or "reverse tailor style sitting" in English) which resembles seiza posture, whereby the buttocks are on the floor and the lower legs are bent off to their respective sides. To sit in seiza requires coming to a kneeling position momentarily, with the heels propped up; if one remains seated on the heels with

2016-399: Is closely connected with tatami flooring. There are circumstances, however, when people sit seiza -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

SECTION 20

#1732775429370

2112-591: Is commonly used in several Japanese practices, including Japanese martial arts and the Japanese tea ceremony . Sitting seiza -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 seiza -style for long periods of time is associated with health problems, particularly those of the knees. Seiza may be compared to similar seated positions in other cultures, such as Indian Vajrasana . To sit seiza -style, one must first be kneeling on

2208-471: Is difficult, such as elderly or non-Japanese people . Some sitting postures (e.g. agura , tatehiza , etc.) are impossible to do in skirts or certain types of women's traditional clothing (such as the premodern kimono ) 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 yokozuwari ( 横座り , literally "sideways sitting") . Another informal sitting posture for women

2304-581: 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 vajrasana . 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. Seiza involves sitting down on the floor and not on a chair. In traditional Japanese architecture , floors in various rooms designed for comfort have tatami floors. Seiza thus

2400-521: Is moderate evidence to show that changes to chairs (adjusting the biomechanics of the chair or using different types of chairs) can effectively reduce musculoskeletal symptoms in workers who sit for most of their day. Public health programs typically focus on increasing physical activity rather than reducing sitting time. One major target for these public health programs is sitting in the workplace. For example, WHO Europe recommended in September 2015

2496-408: Is the choice of materials, always wood in various forms (planks, straw, tree bark, paper, etc.) for almost all structures. Unlike both Western and some Chinese architecture , the use of stone is avoided except for certain specific uses, for example temple podia and pagoda foundations. The general structure is almost always the same: posts and lintels support a large and gently curved roof, while

2592-958: Is well-established, but the risk of cancer mortality is unclear. Sedentary time is also associated with an increased risk of depression in children and adolescents. A correlation between occupational sitting specifically and higher body mass index has been demonstrated, but causality has not yet been established. There are several hypotheses explaining why sitting is a health risk. These include changes in cardiac output , vitamin D , inflammation , sex hormone activity, lipoprotein lipase activity, and GLUT4 activity due to long periods of muscular unloading, among others. Sitting may occupy up to half of an adult's workday in developed countries. Workplace programs to reduce sitting vary in method. They include sit-stand desks , counseling , workplace policy changes, walking or standing meetings, treadmill desks , breaks, therapy ball chairs, and stepping devices. Results of these programs are mixed, but there

2688-509: The Taira clan in 1180. Many of these temples and shrines were later rebuilt by the Kamakura shogunate to consolidate the shōgun ' s authority. Although less elaborate than during the Heian period, architecture in the Kamakura period was informed by a simplicity due to its association with the military order. New residences used a buke-zukuri style that was associated with buildings surrounded by narrow moats or stockades. Defense became

2784-596: The Chinese Sui and Tang dynasties led to the foundation of the first permanent capital in Nara . Its checkerboard street layout used the Chinese capital of Chang'an as a template for its design. In 894 during the Heian period (794–1185), Japan abolished kentōshi (Japanese missions to Tang China) and began to distance itself from Chinese culture, and a culture called Kokufu bunka (lit., Japanese culture) which

2880-739: The Commercial Museum, thought to have been the city's first brick building. In Tokyo, after the Tsukiji area burnt to the ground in 1872, the government designated the Ginza area as model of modernization. The government planned the construction of fireproof brick buildings, and larger, better streets connecting the Shimbashi Station and the foreign concession in Tsukiji, as well as to important government buildings. Designs for

2976-516: The Han. The Kofun period marked the appearance of many-chambered burial mounds or tumuli ( kofun literally means "old mounds"). Similar mounds in Korean Peninsula are thought to have been influenced by Japan. Early in the period, the tombs, known as "keyhole kofun " or zenpō-kōen-fun ( 前方後円墳 ) , often made use of the existing topography, shaping it and adding man-made moats to form

Seiza - Misplaced Pages Continue

3072-441: The Heian period they began to be refined during the Edo period . Machiya typically occupied deep, narrow plots abutting the street (the width of the plot was usually indicative of the wealth of the owner), often with a workshop or shop on the ground floor. Tiles rather than thatch were used on the roof and exposed timbers were often plastered in an effort to protect the building against fire. Ostentatious buildings that demonstrated

3168-554: The White Heron castle) are excellent examples of the castles of the period, while Nijō Castle in Kyōto is an example of castle architecture blended with that of an imperial palace, to produce a style that is more in keeping with the Chinese influence of previous centuries. The Tokugawa shogunate took the city of Edo (later to become part of modern-day Tōkyō) as their capital. They built an imposing fortress around which buildings of

3264-742: The aid of storage jars. Later in the period, a colder climate with greater rainfall led to a decline in population, which contributed to an interest in ritual. Concentric stone circles first appeared during this time. During the Yayoi period, the Japanese people began to interact with the Chinese Han dynasty , whose knowledge and technical skills began to influence them. The Japanese began to build raised-floor storehouses as granaries, which were constructed using metal tools like saws and chisels that began to appear at this time. A reconstruction in Toro, Shizuoka

3360-544: The appearance of sitting seiza while discreetly taking pressure off the heels and feet. A law that came into effect in April 2020 recognizes seiza for extended periods of time as a morally unacceptable form of punishment according to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare . Doing seiza is an integral and required part of several traditional Japanese arts, such as certain Japanese martial arts and tea ceremony (a table-style version of tea ceremony known as ryūrei

3456-551: The area were provided by the British architect Thomas James Waters ; the Bureau of Construction of the Ministry of Finance was in charge of construction. In the following year, a Western-style Ginza was completed. "Bricktown" buildings were initially offered for sale, later they were leased, but the high rent meant that many remained unoccupied. Nevertheless, the area flourished as a symbol of "civilization and enlightenment", thanks to

3552-418: The article ken ). Even in cases as that of Nikkō Tōshō-gū , where every available space is heavily decorated, ornamentation tends to follow, and therefore emphasize, rather than hide, basic structures. Being shared by both sacred and profane architecture, these features made it easy converting a lay building into a temple or vice versa. This happened for example at Hōryū-ji , where a noblewoman's mansion

3648-420: The balls of the feet touching the floor and toes flexed forward, it is called kiza ( 跪座 / 跪坐 ) . If one then lowers the tops of the feet to the floor, one then will be in the seiza position. In some schools of iaido , practitioners stand up to draw the sword and cut after momentarily assuming kiza , so as not to sprain the instep jumping up directly from seiza . Sitting Sitting for much of

3744-485: The basis of modern Japanese houses. Its characteristics were that sliding doors called fusuma and paper windows called shōji were fully adopted, and tatami mats were laid all over the room. The introduction of the tea ceremony emphasised simplicity and modest design as a counterpoint to the excesses of the aristocracy. In the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1568–1600), sukiya-zukuri style villas appeared under

3840-424: The building to an outsider, but part of the external world to those in the building. Structures are therefore made to a certain extent part of their environment. Care is taken to blend the edifice into the surrounding natural environment. The use of construction modules keeps proportions between different parts of the edifice constant, preserving its overall harmony. (On the subject of building proportions, see also

3936-500: The buttocks are nearly always rested on the raised surface, there are many differences in how one can hold one's legs and back. There are two major styles of sitting on a raised surface. The first has one or two of the legs in front of the sitting person; in the second, sitting astride something, the legs incline outwards on either side of the body. The feet can rest on the floor or on a footrest , which can keep them vertical, horizontal, or at an angle in between. They can also dangle if

Seiza - Misplaced Pages Continue

4032-552: The canals. The dōzō were built with a structural frame made of timber coated with a number of layers of earthen plaster on the walls, door and roof. Above the earthen roofs was a timber framework supporting a tiled roof. Although Japanese who had studied with the Dutch at their settlement in Dejima advocated building with stone and brick this was not undertaken because of their vulnerability to earthquakes. Machiya and storehouses from

4128-416: The case of temples and shrines. Simpler solutions are adopted in domestic structures. The oversize eaves give the interior a characteristic dimness, which contributes to the building's atmosphere. The interior of the building normally consists of a single room at the center called moya , from which depart any other less important spaces. Inner space divisions are fluid, and room size can be modified through

4224-766: The country taught its own architects and began to express its own style. Architects returning from study with Western architects introduced the International Style of modernism into Japan. However, it was not until after the Second World War that Japanese architects made an impression on the international scene, firstly with the work of architects like Kenzo Tange and then with theoretical movements, like Metabolism . In traditional Japanese architecture, there are various styles, features and techniques unique to Japan in each period and use, such as residence, castle , Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine . On

4320-504: The court and the laity in the capital. The irregular topography of these sites forced their designers to rethink the problems of temple construction, and in so doing to choose more indigenous elements of design. At this time the architectural style of Buddhist temples began to influence that of the Shintō shrines . For example, like their Buddhist counterparts the Shintō shrines began to paint

4416-481: The day may pose significant health risks, with one study suggesting people who sit regularly for prolonged periods may have higher mortality rates than those who do not. The average person sits down for 4.7 hours per day, according to a global review representing 47% of the global adult population. The form of kneeling where the buttocks sit back on the heels, for example as in the Seiza and Vajrasana postures,

4512-482: The design of chashitsu (tea houses) to a modest size with simple detailing and materials. A typically sized Chashitsu is 4 1/2 tatami mats in size. In the garden, Zen principles replaced water with sand or gravel to produce the dry garden ( karesansui ) like the one at Ryōan-ji . During the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1568–1600) Japan underwent a process of unification after a long period of civil war. It

4608-513: The early 7th century as the private temple of Crown Prince Shōtoku , it consists of 41 independent buildings; the most important ones, the main worship hall, or Kon-dō (金堂, Golden Hall), and the five-story pagoda ), stand in the centre of an open area surrounded by a roofed cloister ( kairō ). The Kon-dō, in the style of Chinese worship halls, is a two-story structure of post-and-beam construction, capped by an irimoya , or hipped-gabled, roof of ceramic tiles. Heijō-kyō , modern day Nara,

4704-601: The end of the Tokugawa shogunate, Western influence in architecture began to show in buildings associated with the military and trade, especially naval and industrial facilities. After the Emperor Meiji was restored to power (known as the Meiji Restoration ) Japan began a rapid process of Westernization which led to the need for new building types such as schools, banks and hotels. Early Meiji Architecture

4800-430: The feet and knees while in the seiza posture, known as shikkō ( 膝行 , knee-movement) , is considered more polite than standing up and walking regularly. Shikkō is today quite rare, but is found in some traditional formal restaurants and ryokan , and is practiced in the martial art of aikido , where practitioners learn to defend themselves while moving in shikkō . To perform this knee-walking movement correctly

4896-422: The floor, folding one's legs underneath one's thighs, while resting the buttocks on the heels . 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

SECTION 50

#1732775429370

4992-496: The following Muromachi period (1336–1573), Japanese Buddhist architecture made technological advances that made it diverge from its Chinese counterpart. In response to native requirements such as earthquake resistance and shelter against heavy rainfall and the summer heat and sun, the master carpenters of this time responded with a unique type of architecture, creating the Daibutsuyō and Zenshūyō styles. The Wayō style

5088-464: The heels must be kept close together, and the body must move as a whole unit. Movement in shikkō forces one to engage the hips in a way that is considered valuable for aikido training. Sitting cross-legged, agura , 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 seiza

5184-452: The influence of a tea house called chashitsu . At first it was an architectural style for the villas of daimyo (Japanese feudal lords) and court nobles, but in the Edo period (1683–1807) it was applied to ryōtei (Japanese-style restaurants) and chashitsu , and later it was also applied to residences. During the Meiji Restoration of 1868 the history of Japanese architecture was radically changed by two important events. The first

5280-454: The interiors of residential buildings with highly cultivated exterior gardens. Fusuma and byōbu became highly decorated with paintings and often an interior room with shelving and alcove ( tokonoma ) were used to display art work (typically a hanging scroll). During this period, sukiya-zukuri style villas appeared under the influence of a tea house called chashitsu (tea house). Matsumoto , Kumamoto and Himeji (popularly known as

5376-478: The internal configuration of a space to be customized for different occasions. People usually sat on cushions or otherwise on the floor, traditionally; chairs and high tables were not widely used until the 20th century. Since the 19th century, however, Japan has incorporated much of Western, modern , and post-modern architecture into construction and design, and is today a leader in cutting-edge architectural design and technology. The earliest Japanese architecture

5472-518: The introduction of Buddhism . New temples became centers of worship with tomb burial practices quickly becoming outlawed. Also, Buddhism brought with it the idea of permanent shrines and gave to Shinto architecture much of its present vocabulary. Some of the earliest structures still extant in Japan are Buddhist temples established at this time. The oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world are found at Hōryū-ji , northeast of Nara . First built in

5568-487: The knees for men. Stepping into and out of seiza is performed mindfully. There are codified traditional methods of entering and exiting the sitting position depending on occasion and type of clothing worn. Prior to the Edo period , there were no standard postures for sitting on the floor. During this time, seiza referred to "correct sitting", which took various forms such as sitting cross-legged (胡坐, agura ), sitting with one knee raised (立て膝, tatehiza ), or sitting to

5664-435: 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 kendō , aikidō , and iaidō , may prescribe up to two fist widths of distance between

5760-636: The later part of the period are characterised by having a black coloration to the external plaster walls. This colour was made by adding India ink to burnt lime and crushed oyster shell. The clean lines of the civil architecture in Edo influenced the sukiya style of residential architecture. Katsura Detached Palace and Shugaku-in Imperial Villa on the outskirts of Kyōto are good examples of this style. Their architecture has simple lines and decor and uses wood in its natural state. The sukiya style

5856-450: The legs mostly parallel or by crossing them over each other. A common cross-legged position is with the lower part of both legs folded towards the body, crossing each other at the ankle or calf, with both ankles on the floor, sometimes with the feet tucked under the knees or thighs. The position is known in several European languages as tailor's posture , from the traditional working posture of tailors (compare: Tailor's bunion ) . It

SECTION 60

#1732775429370

5952-828: The long term. In addition, a 2018 British Journal of Medicine systematic review concluded that interventions aimed at reducing sitting outside of work were only modestly effective. It is not clear how standing desks compare to other work-place interventions to reduce the length of time employees are sitting during the work day. Though most studies even until early 21st century relate human body postures to various musculoskeletal conditions , recent researches show no potential causal relationship between postures and these conditions like back pain ; other causes like sleep deprivation , stress and long-term physical inactivity or prolonged static unnatural postural stress could be significant confounders for various health conditions. However some research show that prolonged slouched position may be

6048-484: The main hall is a Rushana Buddha, the figure that represents the essence of Buddhahood , just as Tōdai-ji represented the centre for imperially sponsored Buddhism and its dissemination throughout Japan. Only a few fragments of the original statue survive, and the present hall and central Buddha are reconstructions from the Edo period . Clustered around the main hall (the Daibutsuden) on a gently sloping hillside are

6144-404: The mainstream. Shoin-zukuri had a lasting impact on later Japanese housing and is the basis of modern Japanese housing. In the old architectural style, tatami mats were laid only in a part of the room, but in the shoin-zukuri style, tatami mats were laid all over the room. In this style, sliding doors called fusuma were used to separate rooms, and an inner window called shoji , which

6240-565: The most notable is the Daisen-kofun , designated as the tomb of Emperor Nintoku . The tomb covers 32 hectares (79 acres) and it is thought to have been decorated with 20,000 haniwa figures. Towards the end of the Kofun period, tomb burials faded out as Buddhist cremation ceremonies gained popularity. The most significant contributor to architectural changes during the Asuka period was

6336-418: The network of Buddhist temples across the country acted as a catalyst for an exploration of architecture and culture, this also led to the clergy gaining increased power and influence. Emperor Kanmu decided to escape this influence by moving his capital first to Nagaoka-kyō and then to Heian-kyō , known today as Kyōto . Although the layout of the city was similar to Nara's and inspired by Chinese precedents,

6432-412: The normally unfinished timbers with the characteristic red cinnabar colour. During the later part of the Heian period there were the first documented appearances of vernacular houses in the minka style/form. These were characterized by the use local materials and labor, being primarily constructed of wood, having packed earth floors and thatched roofs. During the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and

6528-497: The other hand, especially in ancient times, it was strongly influenced by Chinese culture like other Asian countries, so it has characteristics common to architecture in Asian countries. Partly due, also, to the variety of climates in Japan, and the millennium encompassed between the first cultural import and the last, the result is extremely heterogeneous, but several practically universal features can nonetheless be found. First of all

6624-421: The pain, and not really a postural problem. iHunch is an example of postural stress which could cause upper back pain and neck pain, which is prevalent in younger generations and people whose occupation involves prolonged usage of computers. The concept of "good posture" has led to a common misconception that sitting in one good sitting position will allay the negative effects of sitting. Sedentary behaviour

6720-450: The palaces, temples and dwellings began to show examples of local Japanese taste. Heavy materials like stone , mortar and clay were abandoned as building elements, with simple wooden walls, floors and partitions becoming prevalent. Native species like cedar ( sugi ) were popular as an interior finish because of its prominent grain, while pine ( matsu ) and larch ( aka matsu ) were common for structural uses. Brick roofing tiles and

6816-407: The posture for forty minutes or more with minimal discomfort. Certain knee problems are made worse when assuming this position, specifically Osgood-Schlatter disease . Special seiza 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

6912-526: The presence of newspapers and magazine companies, who led the trends of the day. The area was also known for its window displays, an example of modern marketing techniques. The "Bricktown" of Ginza served as a model for many other modernization schemes in Japanese cities. One of the prime examples of early western architecture was the Rokumeikan , a large two-story building in Tokyo, completed in 1883, which

7008-446: The provision of adjustable desks in the workplace. In general, there is conflicting evidence regarding the precise risks of sitting for long periods. A 2018 Cochrane review found low-quality evidence that providing employees with a standing desk option may reduce the length of time some people sit at work in the first year. This reduction in sitting may decrease with time, and there is no evidence that standing desks are effective in

7104-467: The ruling warrior class for which this style of architecture was principally designed, heralded the adoption of the sitting posture known today as seiza as the respectful way to sit. By the middle of the Edo period , it had become a convention for samurai to sit in this manner when meeting authority figures such as the Shogun as a symbol of obedience and loyalty. However, it probably was not until around

7200-524: The seat is sufficiently high. Legs can be kept right to the front of the body, spread apart, or one crossed over the other. The upper body can be held upright, recline to either side or backward, or one can lean forward. There are many seated positions in various traditions and rituals. Four examples are: In various mythologies and folk magic, sitting is a magical act that connects the person who sits with other persons, states or places. The kneeling chair (often just referred to as " ergonomic chair")

7296-417: The side (割座, wariza ), while the posture commonly known as seiza today was called kiza (危座). People's social circumstances, clothing styles, and the places where they sat naturally brought about their manners of sitting. The development, in the Muromachi period, of Japanese architecture in which the floors were completely covered with tatami (thick straw mats), combined with the strict formalities of

7392-556: The simple buke-zukuri style to resemble the earlier shinden-zukuri style. A good example of this ostentatious architecture is the Kinkaku-ji in Kyōto, which is decorated with lacquer and gold leaf , in contrast to its otherwise simple structure and plain bark roofs. During the Muromachi period, shinden-zukuri style, which was the mainstream of the residences of Japanese nobles, declined, and shoin-zukuri , which developed from buke-zukuri of samurai class residences, became

7488-434: The state administration and residences for the provincial daimyōs were constructed. The city grew around these buildings connected by a network of roads and canals. By 1700 the population had swollen to one million inhabitants. The scarcity of space for residential architecture resulted in houses being built over two stories, often constructed on raised stone plinths. Although machiya (townhouses) had been around since

7584-442: The use of screens or movable paper walls. The large, single space offered by the main hall can therefore be divided according to the need. For example, some walls can be removed and different rooms joined temporarily to make space for some more guests. The separation between inside and outside is itself in some measure not absolute as entire walls can be removed, opening a residence or temple to visitors. Verandas appear to be part of

7680-554: The walls are paper-thin, often movable and never load-bearing . Arches and barrel roofs are completely absent. Gable and eave curves are gentler than in China and columnar entasis (convexity at the center) limited. The roof is the most visually impressive component, often constituting half the size of the whole edifice. The slightly curved eaves extend far beyond the walls, covering verandas , and their weight must therefore be supported by complex bracket systems called tokyō , in

7776-588: The wealth and power of the feudal lords were constructed, such as the Kamiyashiki of Matsudaira Tadamasa or the Ōzone Shimoyashiki . Edo suffered badly from devastating fires and the 1657 Great Fire of Meireki was a turning point in urban design. Initially, as a method of reducing fire spread, the government built stone embankments in at least two locations along rivers in the city. Over time these were torn down and replaced with dōzō storehouses that were used both as fire breaks and to store goods unloaded from

7872-574: The years surrounding the turn of the 18th century (the Genroku to Kyōhō eras in Japanese history) that the Japanese generally adopted this manner of sitting in their everyday lives and during the Meiji era , it had become firmly established as the proper sitting posture, as part of the "Japanese culture and tradition" purposefully created during this time. The posture serves as the standard floor sitting posture for most traditional formal occasions, and it

7968-402: Was applied not only to villas but also to ryōtei (Japanese-style restaurants) and chashitsu , and later it was also applied to residences. In the very late part of the period sankin-kōtai , the law requiring the daimyōs to maintain dwellings in the capital was repealed which resulted in a decrease in population in Edo and a commensurate reduction in income for the shogunate. Towards

8064-748: Was combined with Daibutsuyō and the Zenshūyō to create the Shin-Wayō and the Setchūyō styles, and the number of temples in the pure Wayō style decreased after the 14th century. The Kamakura period began with the transfer of power in Japan from the imperial court to the Kamakura shogunate . During the Genpei War (1180–1185), many traditional buildings in Nara and Kyoto were damaged. For example, Kōfuku-ji and Tōdai-ji were burned down by Taira no Shigehira of

8160-432: Was designed to motivate better posture than the conventional chair. To sit in a kneeling chair, one rests one's buttocks on the upper sloping pad and rests the front of the lower legs atop the lower pad, i.e., the human position as both sitting and kneeling at the same time. In 1700, De Morbis Artificum Diatriba listed sitting in odd postures as a cause of diseases in "chair-workers". Current studies indicate there

8256-413: Was established. The priest Kūkai (best known by the posthumous title Kōbō Daishi, 774–835) journeyed to China to study Shingon , a form of Vajrayana Buddhism, which he introduced into Japan in 806. At the core of Shingon worship are the various mandalas , diagrams of the spiritual universe that influenced temple design. The temples erected for this new sect were built in the mountains, far away from

8352-518: Was founded in 708 as the first permanent capital of the state of Japan. The layout of its checkerboard streets and buildings were modeled after the Chinese capital of Chang'an . The city soon became an important centre of Buddhist worship in Japan. The most grandiose of these temples was Tōdai-ji , built to rival temples of the Chinese Tang and Sui dynasties. Appropriately, the 16.2-m (53-ft) Buddha or Daibutsu (completed in 752) enshrined in

8448-508: Was initially influenced by colonial architecture in Chinese treaty ports such as Hong Kong. In Nagasaki , the British trader Thomas Glover built his own house in just such a style using the skill of local carpenters. His influence helped the career of architect Thomas Waters  [ ja ] who designed the Osaka Mint in 1868, a long, low building in brick and stone with a central pedimented portico . In Tōkyō, Waters designed

8544-434: Was invented in the 19th century). Seiza is also the traditional way of sitting while doing other arts such as shodō (calligraphy) and ikebana (flower arranging), though with the increasing use of western-style furniture it is not always necessary nowadays. Many theatres for traditional performing arts such as kabuki and sumo still have audience seating sections where the spectators sit in seiza style. Walking on

8640-451: Was made by pasting paper permeable to sunlight on a wooden frame, was installed inside the wooden shutters. In the room, tokonoma (alcove for the display of art objects) and chigaidana (shelves built into the wall) were set up to decorate various things. In an attempt to rein in the excess of the upper classes, the Zen masters introduced the tea ceremony . In architecture this promoted

8736-634: Was marked by the rule of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi , men who built castles as symbols of their power; Nobunaga in Azuchi , the seat of his government, and Hideyoshi in Momoyama . The Ōnin War during the Muromachi period had led to rise of castle architecture in Japan. By the time of the Azuchi-Momoyama period each domain was allowed to have one castle of its own. Typically it consisted of

8832-417: Was seen in prehistoric times in simple pit-houses and stores adapted to the needs of a hunter-gatherer population. Influence from Han dynasty China via Korea saw the introduction of more complex grain stores and ceremonial burial chambers. The introduction of Buddhism in Japan during the sixth century was a catalyst for large-scale temple building using complicated techniques in wood. Influence from

8928-429: Was suited to the Japanese climate and aesthetic sense flourished. The shinden-zukuri style, which was the architectural style of the residences of nobles in this period, showed the distinct uniqueness of Japanese architecture and permanently determined the characteristics of later Japanese architecture. Its features are an open structure with few walls that can be opened and closed with doors, shitomi and sudare ,

9024-497: Was the Kami and Buddhas Separation Act of 1868, which formally separated Buddhism from Shinto and Buddhist temples from Shinto shrines , breaking an association between the two which had lasted well over a thousand years. Secondly, it was then that Japan underwent a period of intense Westernization in order to compete with other developed countries. Initially, architects and styles from abroad were imported to Japan, but gradually

9120-628: Was to become a controversial symbol of Westernisation in the Meiji period . Commissioned for the housing of foreign guests by the Foreign Minister Inoue Kaoru , it was designed by Josiah Conder  [ ja ] , a prominent foreign government advisors in Meiji Japan ( o-yatoi gaikokujin ). The Ryōunkaku was Japan's first western-style skyscraper, constructed in 1890 in Asakusa . However traditional architecture

9216-676: Was transformed into a religious building. The prehistoric period includes the Jōmon , Yayoi and Kofun periods stretching from approximately 5000 BCE to the beginning of the eighth century CE. During the three phases of the Jōmon period the population was primarily hunter-gatherer with some primitive agriculture skills and their behaviour was predominantly determined by changes in climatic conditions and other natural stimulants. Early dwellings were pit houses consisting of shallow pits with tamped earth floors and grass roofs designed to collect rainwater with

#369630