Why do Japanese people usually sit on their knees? How did this tradition come about?

Everyone knows that we usually sit on stools and chairs. Even sitting on the floor, most people sit cross-legged. Then why do Japanese people like to do it on their knees? Are they crazy? Are they not tired?

In fact, the Japanese kneeling posture originated in China. It turns out that in early history, people in ancient China were kneeling. People in Shang Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty, Spring and Autumn Period, Warring States Period and the Three Kingdoms Period all knelt on mats. There were no stools or chairs at that time. Why not? Because stools and chairs came later.

Our earliest ancestors thought that it was simple not to add entities if it was not necessary. At that time, the ancient people of China knelt in a chair. Yes, you heard me right. What we in China are doing is serious. It's impolite to our guests if you cross your legs on the mat. Moreover, the word "sit" in the Chinese characters we use is evolved from two people sitting on their knees. At that time, there were three kinds of sitting postures, the first one was sitting upright, and the second one was sitting cross-legged like a monk meditating. This is called an auxiliary work.

Third, put your legs out and do whatever you want. This is called sitting in the basket, and sitting in it is also the most formal and polite.

In addition, Japanese aristocratic habit not only originated from China, but also was called Zuo Zheng in Japan.

When we look at the characters in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, China just looks at the characters, which is the image of a man with big eyes kneeling on the mat. Why? When the guests came, I came out to meet them and knelt with my eyes wide open. This is the prototype of the Chinese character "Jian Zi". Then the problem comes again. The ancient people in China knelt down as a symbol of nobility. But why did it change after arriving in the Three Kingdoms? Because from the Tang Dynasty, influenced by the nomadic people around us, we Han people began to use beds, chairs and stools gradually.

That is to say, after constant comparison, China people find that kneeling is very formal and conforms to traditional etiquette, but it is uncomfortable after all. Once people sit on stools and chairs, we Han people find it comfortable to sit on stools and chairs. So, with the passage of time, we China people gradually get used to sitting on stools and chairs, and kneeling in China disappears.

Legend has it that the Japanese were originally sent by Qin Shihuang Xu Fu to take 500 boys and girls to look for the elixir of life, and the tradition of kneeling during the Qin Shihuang period was also brought to Japan. Until now, the Japanese still mainly kneel to show respect for others.