Are you effing kidding me? You are ignorant rochelle; I happen to have Japanese clients in my business, and bowing is pro forma (very much like the handshake here), it is not some sort of subservient gesture, but is one of mutual RESPECT (and, yes, I do bow to my customers, as they do to me.) I admire Obama's willingness to observe the cultural niceities of our allies. Please do not comment on what you don't KNOW.

First it was the King of Saudi Arabia now the Japanese monarch.
So embarrassing. It's common protocol to bend from the
neck and shoulders not the waist.
It implies subservience or could that be the message?

Are you effing kidding me? You are ignorant rochelle; I happen to have Japanese clients in my business, and bowing is pro forma (very much like the handshake here), it is not some sort of subservient gesture, but is one of mutual RESPECT (and, yes, I do bow to my customers, as they do to me.) I admire Obama's willingness to observe the cultural niceities of our allies. Please do not comment on what you don't KNOW.

On bowing:

This happened quite often. It started when we arrived at our hotel in Tokyo. As I was descending the steps of the airport bus, two uniformed bellmen came rushing up and bowed to me. Trying to look casual but feeling like an idiot, I bowed back. I probably did it wrong, because then they bowed back. So I bowed back. The three of us sort of bowed our way over to where the luggage was being unloaded, and I bowed to our suitcases, and the bellmen, bowing, picked them up and rushed into the hotel. We followed past a bowing doorman into the hotel, where we were gang-bowed by hotel employees. No matter which direction we turned, they were aiming bows at us, sometimes from as far as twenty-five yards away.

I have many japanese friends and clients and they bow
and when you bow they bow back and it keeps going till
someone stops. I have also been to Japan.
I just have never seen anyone bow so low like that.
You know below the chin.
If everyone bowed that low we'd be knocking our heads ..lol.

First it was the King of Saudi Arabia now the Japanese monarch.
So embarrassing. It's common protocol to bend from the
neck and shoulders not the waist.
It implies subservience or could that be the message?

You are ignorant rochelle

Japanese greeting bow (ojigi) can be done by bending at the waist 15-45 degrees depending on type of message sent. 45 degree bow is or can be done showing great honor or deep apology.

Which heads? are you talking about????

I have many japanese friends and clients and they bow
and when you bow they bow back and it keeps going till
someone stops. I have also been to Japan.
I just have never seen anyone bow so low like that.
You know below the chin.
If everyone bowed that low we'd be knocking our heads ..lol.

Thanks.
But if you read the article below turns out we were both right
and it's from one one of your left wing
nutcase papers.. LA Times.
I just prefer Cheyney's way..
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/11/obama-emperor-akihito-japan.html

The text says "Obama could receive some frowns back home as he did for his not-quite-this-low-or-maybe-about-the-same-bow to the Saudi king not so long ago. (See photo here)"
So there!

He looks like he's going to kiss his feet. He's not even gtting the same "respect" back. More like he's being laughed at!

Good One Resorts!

I think Obama looks like he's getting ready to tie his shoes.

I think Obama looks like he's getting ready to tie his shoes.

Temples?
Which were you thinking off?

Are you effing kidding me? You are ignorant rochelle; I happen to have Japanese clients in my business, and bowing is pro forma (very much like the handshake here), it is not some sort of subservient gesture, but is one of mutual RESPECT (and, yes, I do bow to my customers, as they do to me.) I admire Obama's willingness to observe the cultural niceities of our allies. Please do not comment on what you don't KNOW.

If you desire the respect and cooperation of an elder( any) Japanese man, political or in business, bowing is the correct way to express that respect. It is culturally correct just as a handshake is in this country as a greeting.
The Japanese culture has been around for just a few thousand yrs longer than the western culture that was based on a different set of social and cultural values.

There are MANY simple differences in cultures. In Japan its considered an insult to count your change at a store where you just paid for something. Failing to return a bow is an insult and leads to closed off communication, sometimes the immediate end of the meeting.
Any American president would return a bow with a Japanese leader.I can assure you that Obama was coached well before he ever stepped foot on AF-1. The whitehouse has an extensive team that knows exactly what is proper and what is not around the world. In fact, the advance-travel team gets coaching from the other party on proceedure and how every minute will progress in a public meeting like this.They reach agreeement and THEN the trip takes place.
The Japanese were coached in a similar fashion.

Well, the most important head of all! blush rofl5