Bowing in Japanese culture

Bowing in Japanese culture (お辞儀 ojigi)

In Japanese society people can be embarrassed by being kissed or hugged enthusiastically in a greeting situation. Such behaviours are not common in Japan. Rather, Japanese people are expected to bow, and refrain from kissing or hugging each other. Lowering the head and bending the body at the waist is what Japanese people do when greeting each other, as well as on many other occasions. 

The お辞儀 ojigi or “bow” is performed by people of all professional status and age in Japan; from children, sportsmen, company bosses to public officials. The bow is performed in a range of occasions and events, including at tea ceremonies, sports events, theatre performance, business meetings, on the streets, in shops, shrines and TV shows.

Bowing is an inherent part of Japanese culture. It is the manifestation of Japanese traditional etiquette, commonly known as お礼 orei. It bears special and important meanings. Here are some explanations on when, why and how to bow in Japan appropriately.

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When to bow

Bowing is used, and expected to be performed, in social occasions such as:

• greeting someone with a saying, for example,  おはようございます(ohayō gozaimasu), こんにちは (konnichi wa), or a farewell さようなら(sayōnara)
• expressing thanks using phrases such as ありがとうございました (arigatō gozaimashita)、お世話になりました (osewa ni narimashita)
• apologising and saying, for example, すみません (sumimasen) or 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen)
• expressing gratitude 感謝 (kansha)
• expressing respect 敬意 (keii)
• introducing yourself to someone 自己紹介 (jikoshōkai)
• congratulating お祝い (oiwai)
• asking for a favour and saying, for example, よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu)

In Japanese society people are expected to be polite. The act of a person bowing signals their recognition and acknowledgement of another person’s presence. But foremost, it is a form of expressing respect, gratitude, and sincerity to the other person. The occasion and social status of parties involved whilst performing the bow determines how to bow.

The social status (which is interpreted differently than, and should not be confused, with our modern Western connotations of this word) among Japanese people is taken into consideration very carefully when they meet. Therefore, a deep bow is not expected from a corporate president who meets a junior worker from office. Rather, what the worker should do is to follow the hierarchy in place when meeting the boss and bow lower. In this way the bower expresses respect to the corporate president and communicates modest opinion about own importance and relative professional rank.

A general rule, which many find fascinating, is that the lower you bow, the more respect you show to the person you meet. Otherwise, the failure of following this etiquette of bowing could be considered as showing disrespect, insincerity, and the situation may be interpreted unfavourably. 

However, there are plenty of occasions in which people perform the bow routinely. When two Japanese people meet for the first time, they exchange name cards. A bow will follow then. At this occasion it should be a short bow. This is because both parties do not know yet how they rank relatively to each other and the organisations which employ them. Once both parties read the name cards carefully and get to know all this information, only then do they become obliged to follow the appropriate bow and greet appropriately at the next occasion.

How to bow

Japanese people pay particular attention to performing ojigi which is viewed as an important part of their life and Japanese culture. There are many underlying rules so many businesses in Japan put forward training programs for employees to learn how to bow to their customers. It is worth considering a few general rules that apply to bowing in Japan:

Casual occasions

Generally speaking, casual occasions, such as an unplanned meeting on the street, call for an informal bow with lowering of the head and bending of the waist at no more than 15 degrees. It can be imagined as a slight nod of the head. This form of bowing is used between all people, and is usually accompanied by some words of greetings, such as おはようございます (ohayō gozaimasu) in the morning, or after work おつかれさまでした (otsukaresama deshita).

Formal occasions

A more formal bow requires 30 degrees of bending the body. This form of bowing is used toward seniors in rank, or in situations, for example, of greeting people which your professional role requires to serve, such as customers.

Occasions of special importance

A bow at 45 degrees and beyond is performed in the most formal occasions when, for example, sincere apologies or a profoundly deep respect are required to be made. It is also expected that one remains in the bowing position for a longer time. The person holds the bow for longer. This kind of bowing you can observe in corporations where managers bow deeply in front of their bosses. Bending the body at 70 degrees can be only seen in situations when a company apologies publicly for causing troubles to the Japanese society.

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Bowing can also be performed in a seated position, called 星座 seiza, and standing position, called 正立 seiritsu. The position depends on the occasion. For example, geisha can meet a visitor in 旅館 (ryokan - Japanese-style lodging) while sitting on the floor. It is not expected that the recipient will get down on the floor too. Attention should be paid on keeping the back straight, the feet together whilst standing, and the head at the same angle as the body with eyes looking downward. A man should hold his arms at the sides and a woman touches her hands lightly in front of her. Ordinarily the bowing post should be hold for two - or at most three - seconds. But if someone stays longer, it is polite if the recipient of this kindness will bow once again.

Correct bowing requires a good portion of practice and takes more skills and experience that you might expect. I recommend practising at home. On occasion if it doesn’t work, try to bow and say one of the commonly used polite phrases at the same time. And don’t worry if this doesn’t work either. Practice will make you a master. In the meantime, to get by whilst still maintaining an aura of respect for others, you can go with handshaking, the gesture which Japanese people are also keen to perform, especially with foreigners.

I hope you find this guide helpful in understanding specific situations which require bowing in Japanese society. If you have any question, contact me via Japco Education.

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