Can You Sit Like An Asian?

I was asked this today, and, mind you, not for the first time.

For those wondering how sitting like an Asian is different than sitting like someone from anywhere else, you obviously haven't seen someone from Asia squat down on the floor, feet flat on the ground, and knees bent to just kinda hang out down there. Because they all have the innate ability to do so. And it's not just a select few who do this, but, well, all of them do it. It's like a born ability to do so. And most Westerners can't do it. No joke. I've seen so many people ponder over this style of sitting.



Of course, the method is extremely practical and useful. By sitting on the flats of your feet, it keeps the muscles in your legs from straining and stiffening, therefore making the pose easy and painless. Also, unlike Western sitting positions, it is easy to move from the squat to standing in one fluid motion, unlike sitting on your bum, cross legged, or with your feet curled under you. Simple squat/sit and stand. It's like an exercise routine for the everyday. Adding to that, it saves space.



At first, when arriving in Japan, I noticed that, in all the bus, train, and basic transportation areas, there are no chairs. This struck me as odd, considering that, for those people traveling, you wait for long periods of time for your bus or train, therefore making chairs opportune and extremely useful items in these locations. This was a particular issue during Golden Week when my friends and I traveled all over Japan, having to wait at bus stations late at night with no chairs and heavy bags. Chairs would have been extremely appreciated. However, upon inspection the lack of chairs makes sense. When chairs are absent, what do you do? Sit like an Asian. Tired, just bend those knees and you're no standing anymore. The entire center of gravity changes, you're legs don't care, and all you need to rely on is balance. You're set. In addition, chairs take up large amounts of space and, in Japan where space is prized, the lack of them is extremely reasonable.



The benefits of the Asian sitting style/squat could be expounded on but let me first explain as to one idea as to why people here are so adept where as Westerns completely incompetent. The answer is simple.

The toilet.

Now, before you burst into laughter and call me stupid and ridiculous, allow me to expound upon this. Toilets in Asia are not the same as toilets in the Western world. Okay, well, they do have a lot of Western style toilets, where you sit down and do your thing, but for the most part, toilets consist of a ceramic oval bowl in the floor that you squat over to do your thing. I'm not kidding, it's a hole in the floor. Well, an extremely technologically advanced hole in the floor, but a hole in the floor none the less. In truth, if you had to squat to do your business every day, I'm pretty sure the habit would sink in pretty fast. On top of that, it's a convenient sitting position.



I can't count the number of times, when riding the train home late or just on a day when it's not packed like sardines, that I've seen someone, either out of necessity or free will, simply shoot down to the floor to hang out in the favored seating position. And no one stares. It's common to just see people anywhere any times sitting like this, whether they're checking their cell phone, eating a rice ball, or just resting for a bit.



The Celebrities do it too.



Personally, I think it's a much better thing to sit like an Asian that to walk like an Egyptian.

And if you were wondering, yes, I can sit like an Asian.