Japan - How To #8 - Bowing

[Aquaspleen]

After being in Japan a few days I found myself bowing without thinking about it.

[ibullpitt]

I love it when you see people bowing while on the phone...8-)

[manufacturedfracture]

guy1:bow guy2:bow guy1:bow guy2:bow guy1:bow guy2:bow guy1:bow guy2:bow guy1:bow guy2:bow lol like those mercury birds i would love to see this but not really it would be awkward

[topcat87]

@manufacturedfracture Yep you really can find yourselves in those situations, lol >.<

[GenXUnderground]

BOW BATTLE roflmao

[MultiFavre]

lol i thought the title of this video was bowling

[Vekhematu]

The Tv Show Kung Fu.. He Is A Chinese Monk But I Get The Feeling They Have The Same Bowing Customs, But When Kwai Chang Interacts With Everyone In The Wild West He Is Staring At Them The Whole Time.. Would A Real Shaolin Monk Act That Way?

[EWGFus3r]

reminds of an episode of the simpsons when they went to japan. on their hotel there was a banner saying "now with 20% more bowing"

[MsSunhappy]

you look gigantic in that room with the small tv and small couch xD

[heckler171]

i dont like the lack of disipline in the west. ppl dnt take shoes off when coming inside YUCK talk loud, boastful, stare, point is something that mostly i see from foreighners who come to the west mainly arabs and eastern europeans like the discipline they put on themselves over there in japan. i wouldnt want to live there though some of the stuff seems silly like bowing longer then the other person competing on who is the politest i mean i bowed you bowed lets move on and do what we gotta do.

[vidEOkid12345]

@heckler171 in the uk we take our shoes off when we enter our homes :3

[heckler171]

@vidEOkid12345 i am sorry i meant america. i know little about uk culture except through movies

[samipso]

Does this bowing also apply to business card exchange?

I happened to meet a japanese game developer under Konami for an interview and i did the whole 2 handed card thing, but i realize i never bowed very deep (because at the time i didn't know what it served for).

We did get a bit of a strange look and we laughed after that. Recon i did something wrong there?

[NovaScotiaNewfie]

`Don't they appreciate it when non Japanese follow their traditions even if they do not get it quite right.

[omg9876543211]

soooooo i guess a staring contest is out of the question???????

and i agree with kenyasquest i wish it would rub off here

[literaturechick12]

I would be SO comfortable with the non-eye contact thing. I'm shy and I hate the Western tradition of having to stare people down when talking to them, very uncomfortable. xD

[SamGlover25]

Another great video!

[seventhsheaven]

I asked my Japanese online helper a few years back what sort of situation would I be in to have to get down on my knees from a standing position and bow to someone. She said 'a whole lot of trouble', and that she was 'never to hear that I had done it or she would be very disappointed'.

:(

[sebastien12364]

i think that good for the japan. Keeping tradition is ALRIGHT!...but not for the stranger XD

[seraphinapandora]

Would they consider it nice if a foreigner is trying to bow, even if they do it wrong?

The rules seem easy enough, -- it's just trying to remember who to bow to in which way! D:

[kalinga01]

Japan is such a cool place. It is one of my favorite countries. One day i want to go there to hang around, see the sights, and meet people, but everything seems so complex and I'm worried about going there. Plus I made a big mistake in school. I stopped taking Japanese and now I've been taking Mandarin Chinese. I'm such an idiot. : (

[TreesAreYourFriend]

I'm going to have to strap down my arms because my instant reaction to meeting someone is a hug. ... sigh...

[xlilslayerx]

Come 2 think of it i do alot of bowin in karate... Do u no y we bow b4 enterin/exiting the dojo? Or is it just my class :|

[thebrutalitygaming]

@xlilslayerx sign of respect

[dragonz1511]

I've done taekwondo for 8 year (korean martial arts) during that sport bowing is extremely important I've only had to do a supper respectful bow toward a grand master or during ceremonies

[smiggle98]

I'll be going on a student exchange trip to Japan in a few months. I'll be there for 6 months. Would I bow longer and lower, or would my host student?

[BirminghamRocks]

I think we can learn from Japanese culture - the bowing act is showing respect.. i think we need to show more respect toward one another in the west.

[pete5668]

do they train their dogs to bow ? :)

[SonyCompany]

How long have you been in Japan :) ?

[Midnightryder7]

Do they shake hands?...and do married couples wear wedding bands?

[Midnightryder7]

Do they wear wedding rings in japan?

[XsakuXrawrX]

OH MY GOSH!

I absolutely love this video!!!

Hahaa!

I never thought that foreigners would find bowing weird until my friends started talking about greetings in different countries (I go to an international school) and I explained to them how we bow in Japan and they looked at me like I was mental xD

[PaintballIt]

@Winterdrose5162 say "sumimasen!" at the direction at the waitress that you want to come.

[PaintballIt]

@genuinebbuck Here you go... hajimemashite (ha- ji(gi)-me-ma-shi-te) and bow. means nice to meet you, and looking down means that you think you are an inferior person... they know this... but they sometimes are laughing at you on the inside. ;-)

[stilldoll14]

Umm I was told that a 3 second bow is the correct way to greet someone for the first time. Is this correct?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@stilldoll14

Another internet myth? :-D

Just a little longer than the other person is best.

[stilldoll14]

@TheJapanChannelDcom Okay, I was wondering because I read it somewhere in my school textbook. Thanks for your help! ^_^

[ironbear66]

@TheJapanChannelDcom I don't really know about japan , but is it true that if you that the longer you bow the serious it is, if you bow longer than "expected" japanese people might follow up with more but shorter bows, is it true?

[genuinebbuck]

Say I move here when I'm older will they expect it from me after a couple of months?

[glasseay]

i´d LOVE to see a Japaneese person and a spanish person meet or be friends

spanish friends or just aquaintens cheek kisses ALL the time

men women dog`s everyone kiss kiss !

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@glasseay

Yes... I have Spanish friends..

the thought of them coming here scares me!!

:-D

[glasseay]

@TheJapanChannelDcom it wont be quiet people in the other side of town wod know when they had arrived

[crystii]

@TheJapanChannelDcom I'm Spanish and I think we're actually aware that in most cultures people don't kiss each others o:-)

At least after we meet a few foreign people... and they look at us with HORROR in their faces after we try to kiss them... twice (once per cheek).

[TheK20a]

@TheJapanChannelDcom wats that the post to mean!

[Supersaiiyin]

@glasseay LOLS!!!! it would be funny!!!!

[cookiepwnsU]

@glasseay that's pretty much in all of Europe i think (although the dutch do the 3 kisses thing)

[mikaelaesther]

@glasseay hahahahahahaha ^_^ .... i am spanish ... and isn't always like that....tho it's funny the perception people have about us.

[glasseay]

@mikaelaesther yeh ... and i have lived 8 years with yall and i can say ... yes yall ARE like that

[mikaelaesther]

@glasseay nop.... not all ^_^ ..... where did you live? central or south america ? 

[glasseay]

@mikaelaesther south spain dude :O)

have a nice day

[Temaritentenyup]

@glasseay The thing is if we have lived in like a non Spanish place for a while we do differentiate how we greet people. Like non Hispanics might get a hug or hand shake but Hispanics get the standard kiss on the cheek or kiss on the cheek and bear hug.

[glasseay]

@Temaritentenyup ill be content with a bear hug my friend :o)

be well

[Temaritentenyup]

@glasseay Yeah. I'm Hispanic and people (non Hispanic people) are always surprised to see how I greet other Hispanics, whether they are strangers or not.

[Winteredrose5162]

How would you get the attention of a waiter or waitress?

[kojikaa]

You have mentioned about Japanese and eye contact which reminds me something. What if a Japanese man kept looking into the other person eyes while they talked or were together?? I knew for sure he didn't like her that way and the subjects they were talking about were not anything romance. I was (and am) so confused with his behaviour. Do you or anyone have an adjacent possible theory for this?

[angelwings1086]

Here's one that you may or may not have covered already (I'm new to this channel), but after watching a few "How to" videos it got me thinking about asking... Especially after the first "how to" video when you mentioned that they're too polite to point out your mistakes, I was wondering how or when would it be appropriate to ask someone for help or tips on appropriate behavior. I'd be the bumbling fool apologizing profusely because I'm not sure what I'm doing all the time. Lol.

[deadlyjack]

How about if you are in a group or a businessmeeting, should I wait my turn until I get eyecontact with the person or should all bow at the same time? In that case, how does a gesture like that look like? Thank you for these helpfull hints!

[birddogg62]

I like the fact that japanese people hate staring. I hate how if i go to some places(especially here in south carolina maybe the south in general) people will stare you down.

[BardoBeing17]

after bowing is it then possible to give a hug or handshake or is that to awkward???

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@BardoBeing17

A hug??

Horrifying ^_^

And only shake a hand if it is offered to you.

I think I covered touching in another video..

[curtiskumfer]

@TheJapanChannelDcom well wow i thought it was just in gratings and thank u and u know basics lik that but wow thats alot of bowing on the martial arts topic do u know anything on the tai chi subject like i hear its in alot of parks and stuff just open to whomeer or i may be thinking of china also how long would u say it would take to be able to get the bowing understood

[DeepBlueSkyy]

@TheJapanChannelDcom could you tell me which video is(touching), didn't find it

[mogadishusneeze]

Thanks Buddy, You're a legend

[cxsharma]

I like that your credibility is increased by you being Japanese instead of some white guy.

[Fruitjoke]

The insident with the waitress happend to me once aswell, but in Germany, I guess that can happen anywhere, or maybe I am just good looking :P

[ligerwolf]

Hmm, What about smiling? is that considered a fo paux? If you were to be walking around, and make eye contact with someone and show a smile would it be impolite?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@ligerwolf

No.. not impolite..

But it isn't usually what they do..

[alennna]

cool.. and very sanitary, isn't it

[Koiyuki]

As a developing teacher of Japanese language and culture, part of me wishes there was more English-language material about the mechanics of bowing, like what depth of bow is proper for a situation, proper bow frequency and so on. I mean, one of the most educational articles on Japanese-style bowing I've found was in the Oct. 08 edition of Otaku USA, forchissakes. It really is odd how little most texts teach about it, considering how important it is for establishing social contact.

[misterbearbe]

What about shaking hands? Very rude?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@misterbearbe

Covered that in another video.

[stevelysteve]

What if you're a foreigner, and you incorrectly/improperly bow? Would that be considered worse than not trying at all? =/

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@stevelysteve

Probably.

[manufacturedfracture]

are they democracy or emperor or what as in government or shogunistic?

[cheerleader256]

this answered a lot of my questions as well(: thank you!

but, yeah, my japanese text book says that eye contact is to be avoided, because i guess its rude? hmm.

[mokulen22]

Great Videos and very helpful but you tend to repeat yourself quite often.

[T0SHIR0UHITSUGAYA]

Thank you for makeing this video. I have had alot of questions on this and the video cleared up so many of them. Thank you again for makeing such amazing videos.

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@T0SHIR0UHITSUGAYA

Thanks for watching.

[neotel1234]

Thanks great advice.

I do have a quick question you mentioned that people of different status bow for different periods and to different depths. if i am going to live and work in Japan for a while how would i determine the different statuses of people so i know whether i should bow first and how deep and how long i should bow?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@neotel1234

Assume everyone is above you until you work it out... in a few years :-D

[GrafRamolo]

I have a question, I have a really big dick. And I heard that Japanese guys has quite small ones. Should Iboast about. it or it will be consider rude? I'm asking because in my country it is no problem. When I'm meeting someone I shake his hand and say: Hello my name is ... and I have really big dick. And he reply Hello my name is... and mine is big too, nice to meet you.

[misamisa29]

Hi, I have a question.

I'll be doing a homestay in japan this summer. When I first meet my host family how should I greet them? Should I bow, or shake their hand? I want to make sure I have a good first impression. thanks

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@misamisa29

I thought I mentioned shaking hands in a video...

I only shake hands in Japan when someone offers theirs first.

[Sonkhmer]

Can you also bow like they do in Cambodia and Thailand where they put two hands together?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@Sonkhmer

It isn't what they usually do here.

[J0RDSKI]

Napoleon Bonaparte - "I bow to no man but God" Lol good job he never traveled to Japan.

[Chuloloc]

Awesome. Amazing advice. Very helpful. Much respect for Japan.

[Animehem]

what is the best way to learn japanese if one intends to live in japan?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@Animehem

We have touched on this in videos and discussed it extensively on the website forum ^_^

[ExtremeBogom]

Informative videos mate :).

Quick [joke]question though.

Do Japanese people kick back and enjoy peace and quiet?

Do they "take it easy"?

To an Englishman, this behaviour seems uptight, and disciplined.

[depravedreality]

Very informative. I knew bowing was complex but never new exactly how complex. I think I will learn more before I start trying that. ^^

[henno147]

Hi! i love your vids keep up the great work !

i have a question how good are you at the japanese language and how long have you been learning??

many thanks ^.^

from Ireland XD

[kenyasquest]

wow I would be under so much stress just trying to remember all the rules , regulations , traditions and such . They are very neat and clean though , and very polite , kind of wish some of that would rub off here .

[megabrowser17]

@kenyasquest I'd rather have my stress-free "no one gives a shit what you do" type of culture, compared to having a clean and forced politeness throughout everything thing we do to anyone at anytime anywhere.

[kenyasquest]

@megabrowser17 Well then america is the place for you !

[Snaggbash2000]

@kenyasquest well of course hes a natural ;) I train in martial arts and after a while its not a problem at all to bow correctly and remember all the phrases(there are pretty much just two lol). I often say arigato so much that it turns into some stupid gibberish, wich is very awkward :S

[meestaree]

These are interesting videos. Question I would have is... if it's rude to stare how did you get away with all this "watch others to see what to do" that is suggested often. Not imperative to know as I likely won't be in Japan but just a curious thought how you get away with it - in private situations or from a distance? - maybe it could be a new video idea :) Since your eyes are usually open when awake can you seem to stare at someone and cause offense when just gazing out into space lol

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@meestaree

Looking is different to staring.

[PussyCatDoll14]

So, when you bow in japan, you have to make slight eye contact to the person? and another thing...do japanese people in japan hug eacother or is it not that common like in north america?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@PussyCatDoll14

Just look in the direction of their face.

Never see hugging and touching of any kind is rare.

[MetalBassjunkie420]

And what if I do go to Japan and make eye contact at the people? Would they think I'm a weirdo?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@MetalBassjunkie420

Knowing it is not cool.. it is best not to do it.

But your choice.

[celineworlock]

I worked 2 years in a cybercafe in Paris with lot of foreigners. I had 2 or 3 japanese customers and they were very demanding but soooo polite ... they gave me money like a treasure bowing several

times. It was always an honor to serve them. I'm so sad to have to live with dirty and unpolite people. In france I look like a shy person but I'm only more polite... very frustrating

[kannarin]

they bow while on the phone!?...wtf!!??....that is weird!

[dermtoro]

You address a waiter by calling "suimasen"

[MetalBassjunkie420]

Doesn't suimasen mean excuse me? Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Akaliko]

"sumimasen" means "excuse me".

[Punk7680]

You mentioned in this video about a man staring at a waitress and mentioned it was rude to stare. Is staring at the waiter or waitress the correct way to get their attention if you would like something, or did she ask him if he wanted something because he was being rude.

For example, clicking your fingers is considered a rude way to attract a waiters attention, but most will ask you if you want something if you do it.

In other words, how do you adress a waiter/waitress properly?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@Punk7680

There is sometimes a button on the table.. if not, we call out "sumimasen"

[dhyleck]

In my culture & country we don't bow. We are heavily monotheistic people and ABSOLUTELY don't bow to anyone or anything except God. We believe that bowing to anyone or anything but God is a sin. Also when greeting females that are not from our household we NEVER touch them even to shake their hands, it is considered very rude. So is there any alternative way to greet Japanese people?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@dhyleck

Bowing is just a sign of respect here.

They don't touch either.

[SchwarzesPCSchaf]

if I may inquire, what is your culture and what god do you believe in?

[PhantomRickshaw]

excellent! 5*

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@PhantomRickshaw

Thanks for the 5!

[callousg]

They bow while on the phone....

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@callousg

yep!

[christiematsuko]

@callousg

[nightskill01]

Is it hard to learn japanese? I mean they have 3 alphabets... it is a little bit confusing isnt it?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@nightskill01

yes, hard

[LoveYamachan]

@nightskill01 hiragana and katakana is easy you can learn it in hours but kanji is difficult...

[christiematsuko]

@nightskill01 None of their writing systems is an alphabet: "Hiragana" and "Katakana" are syllabaries and "Kanji" are Chinese characters borrowed via Korea...

[hyperkiller13]

lmao, I was wondering, and I kept watching your videos and I found it. lol

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@hyperkiller13

Excellent :-)

[TheTokyoted]

how about a forein exchange student????

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@TheTokyoted

That would depend where you went.

Check out the website forum.

[flowerpotproductions]

is it fun to live in Japan? also is learning the letters and language hard? also lol id it hard to get use to the food?

Thanks 5 *

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@flowerpotproductions

Yeah it is good and learning to read is hard.

Thanks for the 5!

[chamekke]

Great video! I've been (trying to) bow for a while, but still have trouble keeping the spine straight in the proper fashion ... I sometimes catch myself doing a bit of a "prawn". (Your form is great though :-)

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

@chamekke

"prawn" :-D

Thanks for watching!

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

Info on that on the website forum :-)

[xOxannachanxOx]

Lol. You are talking about how observing people is the best way to learn, and then later you said that staring was not appreciated.(unless of course you mean just by glancing over and looking for a coupple seconds?) Lol, just though Id point that out, but anyhow thanks for the video I just got a little confused xD But still awesome! ^^

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

Maybe I should make one on how to look without staring :-D

[43oun]

wow..respectful people..but it still complex behavior

[hcsurfer26]

Ha ha! I have already seen this one... for some reason... I thought for a split second, it said "bowling in japan"???? Ha aha! That would be cool if you could show a video like that!

[outlaws0023]

All your videos are so good and helpful!

Love watching each and everyone of them!

Thanks a lot and keep up the good work:D

[drunkfux1]

Great video series.

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

Thanks, more coming!

[fromsevenseas]

I attended to karate lessons and we had to bow when entering and leaving the tatami-area and before and after the lesson we had the kneel-down bow, so I thought the bowing was a part of martial arts no matter in which country you take lessons in...?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

Depends on the martial art, the country and the school.. but bowing is a part of Japanese martial arts...

the way it is done in other countries varies in its authenticity...

[crystalepona]

Thanks ever so much for this series!!! I plan to go to Japan shortly and I hope to be a respectful tourist. I never realized how complex their culture is. Please, please, please keep extending this series. The more we know the better, yes?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

You are right.

Adding to these videos all the time  :-)

[fmscribs]

There must be a lot of head injuries from all the bowing, right? I mean a few million people bowing to one another, there's got to be a few collisions. I wonder if there's emergency room stats on that?

[totallyspyprincess]

lol I was just thinking that

[chrissjg]

lol musta been me but when i click video i thought it said bowling i was like hell yeah! but w/e bowing is just as good lol :P

[kageromaru]

Uh, I can't bow due to a back injury... Should I wear a shirt that says so if I ever manage to rob a abnk and move there? :D

[StakeJade]

I knew about the bowing and the importance of showing relative status to the other but that makes me wonder if they ever shake hands.

By the way, I've been finding these videos to be quite interesting. I'm learning a lot. Thank you.

[TheGodin]

I'm relatively sure that two Japanese people would not shake hands, it's not part of their culture.

You might see a Japanese businessman or someone else who has to deal with foreign people regularly initiate a handshake though.

[chrissjg]

i bet they do handshake, just not so much as bowing, ive seen all around world the handshaking

[shutterswan]

i went over for a holiday for almost a month, i was aware of bowing and although you're saying not to do it at all, i was told that a slight 'head nod' was acceptable for minor travel situations (probably not though for business/social relationships etc).

it's kind of contagious and hard not to bow back when someone does so i tended to head nod a bit. Although i'm sure this looked odd it seemed to go over okay...

[DenDanskeChampDawg]

torentazos, those all depends on what kind of relationship you have to the person, for instance if you have a friend in Japan, he'll call you "your name"-san. havn't u seen that on the movies n such?:)

Also, the sama is for instance if you go to like Kung-fu or something ( some sport in Japan:) then you call the teacher "his name"-sama, or so i think.. im not THAT smart bout these things^^ but hey?^^

[o0heffer0o]

heya great vids.. have one question dunno if u have answered it before first time im watching these vids. but can i ask how u meet your Girlfreind?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

It is "TheJapanChannel" not "TheBoringOldGuy" channel so I dont talk about myself usually...

I met her at a party.

[torentazos]

what about using the "chan, kun, san, sama" stuff? i don't get why they say those words after the names

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

We are making a video on that now!

[torentazos]

that's great... your really lucky you get to live in Japan

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

yes, lucky.. and I worked hard for 20 years :-)

[torentazos]

wow! your so cool!

[Nearman]

if you bow to no one will they drop kick you???

[MsSacred]

just a personal question for you, why are you in Japan? i find it so cool.. i just wondered if it's a job related thing~

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

To be honest it is because I was getting to frustrated with western society.

To much rudeness, selfishness and aggression...

[MsSacred]

haha, i agree. im quite annoyed of living in the US. I find it terrific that you're able to go there and learn Japanese. Are you planning to live there or just stay for a few..?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

I will never leave :-D

[MsSacred]

Hahaha! I would do the same. I want to grow up and get a job dealing with traveling... or better yet ( Japan and Korea ) lol any suggestions? other than international business and teacher?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

Try the website forum.. info there and feel free to ask questions!

[CatalinPopandaul30]

Konichiwa!

[KirstieXoXo]

YOU HELPED ME SOO MUUCHH THANKY YOU!!! AHHH I thought i knew everything but i guess i didnt hahaha I cant wait to go!!

[tiannazx3uploadzx3]

If you realize that you have a crush on someone in japan is bowing a relation to likeing someone or is there other regulations? Or do you just simply tell the person?

[TheJapanChannelDcom]

Bowing is about respect.

It isn't about regulations.

Telling people you have "crushes" on them is not cool here usually.

Try the website forum for relationship advice.

[tiannazx3uploadzx3]

alright ! Thanks for the advice ! ^_^

Five Stars, I've been wondering about this for quite some time. Even though I am not going to Japan any time soon I am just fascinated by the culture. Thanks so much for your videos. Keep posting, you're doing a great job. Looking forward to the next video!