Obama Bows Towards Japanese Emperor

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Originally Posted by samurai

I was taught that the best way to handle greetings when I was in Japan is let the Japanese person make the first move. If they bow to you, return the bow. If they offer to shake your hand, then shake their hand. But you don't need to, and shouldn't, bow while you shake hands. So that part is probably Obumbler's ignorance of protocol rather than a real show of subservience, since bowing like that is just a form of greeting in Japan. If he were to do a real Japanese bow of subservience, he'd be on his knees, hands on the ground, and bowing his head to the floor.

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Maybe, but I don't think that any head of state should bow to any other head of state.

If you want to show respect, then a box of cigars and a really decent malt whisky should do the job. If I was the head honcho of any state, then I'd far rather them than a 90 degree angle bow.

I tell you what, I bet the Emperor of Japan would have preferred a nice inlaid wooden box containing fifty Partegas maduras and a bottle of 20yo Lagavullen than some muppet doing a deep bow.

I bloody well would, too. The bow is like when your boss thanks you instead of paying you more. Fucking useless and humiliating to both parties.

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Originally Posted by hampshirebrit

Maybe, but I don't think that any head of state should bow to any other head of state.

If you want to show respect, then a box of cigars and a really decent malt whisky should do the job. If I was the head honcho of any state, then I'd far rather them than a 90 degree angle bow.

I tell you what, I bet the Emperor of Japan would have preferred a nice inlaid wooden box containing fifty Partegas maduras and a bottle of 20yo Lagavullen than some muppet doing a deep bow.

I bloody well would, too. The bow is like when your boss thanks you instead of paying you more. Fucking useless and humiliating to both parties.

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I am not sure what the custom is in Japan but perhaps we are viewing the meaning of the bow from a western point of view and that the Japanese meaning is somewhat different. I know that in Japan it is custom for both to bow as a sign of respect. It has the same significance as the western handshake.

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Originally Posted by FlaGator

I am not sure what the custom is in Japan but perhaps we are viewing the meaning of the bow from a western point of view and that the Japanese meaning is somewhat different. I know that in Japan it is custom for both to bow as a sign of respect. It has the same significance as the western handshake.

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I know a popular hand signal I would like to give him that is loaded with meaning!

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Originally Posted by hampshirebrit

Maybe, but I don't think that any head of state should bow to any other head of state.

If you want to show respect, then a box of cigars and a really decent malt whisky should do the job. If I was the head honcho of any state, then I'd far rather them than a 90 degree angle bow.

I tell you what, I bet the Emperor of Japan would have preferred a nice inlaid wooden box containing fifty Partegas maduras and a bottle of 20yo Lagavullen than some muppet doing a deep bow.

I bloody well would, too. The bow is like when your boss thanks you instead of paying you more. Fucking useless and humiliating to both parties.

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This is Obama we're taking about... it wouldn't have been whiskey and cigars, it would have been a collection of bargain bin shlock movies on Region 1 DVDs...

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Originally Posted by FlaGator

I know that in Japan it is custom for both to bow as a sign of respect. It has the same significance as the western handshake.

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Possibly, but there is barely doing it, doing it, and overdoing it. Some people (i.e. the President) should find a a way to do the first of these three. This:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6...d303970c-600wi

is a shameful display of the third.

It just looks really bad. There are also enough racial overtones, probably unintentional but there anyway, in the gesture that can and will entirely appeal to the wrong kind of sentiment.

Your president has delinquent protocol advisors, and a really bad case of tone-deafness.

I just wince every time I look at that picture. What's he going to do next?

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Originally Posted by samurai

I agree, bowing is very common in Japan, and is used as a basic greeting and farewell.

OT, but when and where did you live in Japan? I lived there from 1996-98, teaching English on the JET Program. I lived about 1 hour south of Osaka, in Wakayama prefecture. Japan is a great place.

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Yeah, Ok.... :rolleyes: Compare other World Leader's meeting the Emperor.

I never lived in Japan, yet I know at no time does the U.S. flag "dip" for any other, so why does Obozo bow before an Emperor?

Because he has no effin clue.....

edit to add; Is Obozo bowing or about to give a B.J.?

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Originally Posted by Teetop

Yeah, Ok.... :rolleyes: Compare other World Leader's meeting the Emperor.

I never lived in Japan, yet I know at no time does the U.S. flag "dip" for any other, so why does Obozo bow before an Emperor?

Because he has no effin clue.....

edit to add; Is Obozo bowing or about to give a B.J.?

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Probably because all of them knew the same thing I did, that you either bow or shake, whichever the Japanese person does, not both. Most Japanese people will bow with other Japanese people, and shake the hand of foreigners, though handshakes are becoming somewhat more popular among some Japanese. Still, if you go to Japan and they bow to you, just bow back and think of it as a hello or goodbye, not anything more devout or meaningful than that unless they bow especially low. Typically, if you just follow their lead you won't cause offense.

You know, maybe we should caption this picture...


"Your doorways are really short here, and my back went out as I ducked to get in..."


"Can you see the bald spot on my head?"


"Wow, your shoes are just FAAABulous, you MUST tell me where you got them!"


"Oh crap, someone just snapped a picture while I was bowing to a foreign leader again..."

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Originally Posted by samurai

You know, maybe we should caption this picture...


"Your doorways are really short here, and my back went out as I ducked to get in..."


"Can you see the bald spot on my head?"


"Wow, your shoes are just FAAABulous, you MUST tell me where you got them!"


"Oh crap, someone just snapped a picture while I was bowing to a foreign leader again..."

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"Does this bow make my butt look big?" :eek:




:D

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Originally Posted by samurai

Probably because all of them knew the same thing I did, that you either bow or shake, whichever the Japanese person does, not both. Most Japanese people will bow with other Japanese people, and shake the hand of foreigners, though handshakes are becoming somewhat more popular among some Japanese. Still, if you go to Japan and they bow to you, just bow back and think of it as a hello or goodbye, not anything more devout or meaningful than that unless they bow especially low. Typically, if you just follow their lead you won't cause offense.

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Bullshit, No POTUS should bow to anyone.