Agura (胡坐, lit., "foreign/barbarian sitting") is the Japanese term for the position normally referred to as "sitting cross-legged" in the West. The buttocks are on the floor (or on a cushion set on the floor) and the legs are out in front, with the knees bent and each foot crossed beneath the other leg. In Japan, this posture is considered an informal alternative to the seiza (proper sitting) position for men. It is generally considered unfeminine and uncouth for women, in Japan, to sit in the agura position.