Zabuton

Traditional Japanese chair with a zabuton and a separate armrest

A zabuton (kanji: 座布団, hiragana: ざぶとん, 'sitting futon',[1] Japanese pronunciation: [d͡za̠bɯ̟ᵝtõ̞ɴ] ZAH-boo-tawn) is a cushion for sitting that is commonly used in traditional Japanese settings.[2] Zabuton is a Japanese loanword[3] that is also sometimes used in Western culture to describe the zaniku, a flat mat that a zafu is placed on.[1]

The zabuton is generally used while sitting in a seiza or agura position[4][5] and may also be used when sitting on a chair. Zabuton are used during meditation such as zazen.[6] In a more casual setting, the zabuton can be used in conjunction with a zaisu, a type of Japanese legless chair, with or without an accompanying kyōsoku (脇息), a Japanese-style armrest. Ordinarily, any place in Japan where seating is on the floor will be provided with zabuton for sitting comfort. The length and width of a typical zabuton is approximately 2 square feet (0.19 m2)[2] to 3 square feet (0.28 m2)[7] and usually an inch or two thick,[8] but can vary in thickness.[9] They are sometimes made with threaded embroidery[10] and tassels on the four corners and at the center of the zabuton, and often with a removable outer cover that can be washed separately.[11]

Zafu and Zabuton for sitting meditation (Zazen)
  1. ^ a b Dōgen (1996). Leighton, Taigen Daniel (ed.). Dogen's pure standards for the Zen community: a translation of the Eihei shingi. Translated by Leighton, Taigen Daniel; Okumura, Shohaku. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. p. 233. ISBN 0-585-04623-9. OCLC 42854986. Archived from the original on 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  2. ^ a b Smith, Richard Alan (January 1981). "Comfort, room use and economy of means in the Japanese house". Building and Environment. 16 (3): 167–175. Bibcode:1981BuEnv..16..167S. doi:10.1016/0360-1323(81)90010-X.
  3. ^ Evans, Toshie M. (1997). A dictionary of Japanese loanwords. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-0-313-37004-5. OCLC 528863578. Archived from the original on 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  4. ^ Oshima, Kimie (June 2011). "Japanese Cultural Expressions Seen in English Rakugo Scripts". Asian Englishes. 14 (1): 46–65. doi:10.1080/13488678.2011.10801293.
  5. ^ McNeill, Warrick (July 2017). "Adapting to floor sitting and kneeling". Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 21 (3): 731–735. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2017.06.016. PMID 28750992.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference buksbazen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Irwin, Ronald R. (2002). Human Development and the Spiritual Life: How Consciousness Grows Toward Transformation. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum. pp. 9–10. ISBN 0-306-46606-6. OCLC 48131724. Archived from the original on 2023-01-10. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  8. ^ Ford, James Ishmael (2018). Introduction to Zen koans: learning the language of dragons. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-61429-315-6. OCLC 1001340501.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference matsumoto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "There's a trick to making zabutons". The Honolulu Advertiser. October 31, 1973. p. G–2. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Mason, Nancy (June 22, 1985). "Zabutons by Mrs. Reeb Bring Orient to Atlanta". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 15. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.