Seiza 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.
Narendra Modi (Prime Minister of India) and Shinzō Abe (then-current Prime Minister of Japan) sitting seiza-style during a tea ceremony
A woman in seiza performing a Japanese tea ceremony
Frederick Starr sitting in the seiza style on a zabuton
The judo practitioner at right performs a bow while seated in seiza
Sitting is a basic action and resting position in which the body weight is supported primarily by the bony ischial tuberosities with the buttocks in contact with the ground or a horizontal surface such as a chair seat, instead of by the lower limbs as in standing, squatting or kneeling. When sitting, the torso is more or less upright, although sometimes it can lean against other objects for a more relaxed posture.
The Thinker by Auguste Rodin
A man sitting on the ground, on a road in Nepal
A woman sitting on a chair
An Indian Buddha, seated with legs crossed