On President Obama's Bow to the Japanese Emperor, An Academic Friend Writes That Both the Left and the Right Are Wrong

Cody,

Your slippery grasp of history is showing. Why didn’t the US use nuclear weapons against Germany? Quite simply, the war was over in Europe (May 1945) before the first test was completed (July 1945).

The reason for dropping the weapons on Japan was the furious Japanese defense of Iwo Jima, Saipan and Okinawa. Based on the scale of the required invasion of the main home islands, it was estimated at the time that 250,000 to 1 million Americans would be killed or wounded, to say nothing of the Japanese casualties.

Yes, the US firebombed Japanese cities (btw, it wasn’t napalm), but the Japanese still would not surrender. Remember, that is the reason the atomic bombs were dropped – to get the Japanese to surrender. And the numbers are somewhere around 250,000 killed and wounded, not millions.

The war was brutal on both sides. Do you know how Allied prisoners were treated by the Japanese? Do you know anything about Unit 731? The Japanese used live prisoners (Allied soldiers, Chinese civilians) to conduct biological and chemical warfare experiments on, and performed vivisection of the victims (look up what that means if you don’t know).

So many Monday morning quarterbacks... If these hindsighted experts knew the correct bowing protocol then why didn't they coach their friend Obama, or see to it that he was coached by qualified staff?
The face wasn't just lost here; it got stepped all over and dragged across the floor.

Kym, thank you for your comment indeed. I have understood your feeling. I think nationalists used to try to rewrite history, therefore we must defend commonsense from their intention. In this point, I should think I share same idea with you. However there are such the 'nationalists' not only in Japan, but in all the country including China and Korea. In China and Korea, it seems that such the people and your government support each other for their propaganda and they are majority. I feel they have tried to rewrite history for their convenience bit by bit day by day and hide many of doings of Japan for apology to your nation after WW2. For example, all of my Chinese friends do not know that present new Beijing airport was build with financial support of Japan. Off cause I am not so shameless to think we can buy past lost lives in your country. I am sorry for doing of our country in WW2. But please understand my feeling when some of your people criticize me for it or insist that Japan does nothing for apology and it is the reason for them to skip out on our rules in our country. I feel that it is not fair attitude and it were a kind of your 'revenge.'

tutuu

@kym

The atomic bombs dropped by the US on Japan are among the greatest war crimes in history. You are wrong, and you have been taught wrong, because so many in the US simply cannot face they shame. It is too great.

Perhaps you'll feel differently if two nuclear bombs are one day dropped on the United States. I think only then will you understand the scope and gravity of this crime, and the doors to terror it has opened.

See? I bet you can hardly imagine the horror of such a thing.

@ Fumuneko
Don't read into my comment things I didn't say. I don't hate the Japanese. By and large we (the Chinese) have moved on with our lives. All we ask is for the Japanese to acknowledge their crimes which you're not fully doing to this day.

"some of you try to revenge at everywhere."

That's simply not true. If we really wanted revenge, we'd be attacking Japanese nationals abroad, mounting terrorist attacks on your country and indoctrinating our children to hate the Japanese. I agree some of us use the WWII guilt to manipulate your people but please don't exaggerate by saying we want revenge everywhere.

@ Turnaround
There'll always be arguments about the true situation. However, I know that the Japanese have been taught to fight to the bitter end. They'd rather kill themselves than fall into enemy hands. Do you think this kind of attitude is open to negotiations? I don't. If they did negotiate, how long will it drag on? Should the people of Korea, China and Southeast Asia suffer in the meantime? Personally, I think the US made the best decision it could. There are no easy answers. At least appreciate the complexity of the situation.

Read Ralph. Jake states his friend supports the Nixon bow.

This is sad, and akward.

Work done in this blog is very wonderful and valuable.

Honestly, I dont think the 90 degree bow is appropriate or necessary. Coming from Asia where bowing is much of a norm, I observe that a gentle, light bow suffices if we are talking about showing respect or upholding proper diplomatic decorum with a Head of State.
Obama has in this instance gone abit too far and its a fair question to ask 'what sort of White House protocol briefing/ training the President is getting?'
Although I agree it is respectful to observe some basic protocols especially when meeting a Head of State, I offer here a slightly different view- I believe to the majority of the world, excluding Japan, a light bow is all Heads of State/ Governments should be according to each other.
Going the full 90 degrees, Obama has dissapointed many Americans because this is not only unnecessary, but also shows his lack of sensitivity to what is accepted in his own culture and the lack of appreciation for the fact that he is the President of an equally sovereign nation which deserves to be respected and deserves a President who upholds its own national dignity in the face of foreign leaders.

Obama's 90 degree stance has nothing to do with his/ the Emperor's height. This unfortunately looks and means 'kowtowing' in the majority of our cultures or extending a deep apology to someone.
If my Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong did the same, I have to admit that I and many other Singaporeans would feel ashamed if not slightly dissapointed that our PM had to 'bend over backwards' this much to a foreign Head of State, plus, it doesn't look good in our culture for someone to do that.
Hence, I understand the dissapointment felt by many Americans due to this gesture. This has nothing to do with American superiority/ Japan's position as a losing World War II Axis power. It has to do with proper protocols under foreign diplomacy which surely doesn't call for any Head of Government/ State to compromise so much on his/ her own culture and sensitivities just to please the other side.

@ kym

"Millions more were saved because the USA dropped those A-bombs."

You are wrong.

Even General Eisenhower had urged Truman, in a personal visit, not to use the atomic bomb. Eisenhower’s assessment was "It wasn’t necessary to hit them with that awful thing . . . to use the atomic bomb, to kill and terrorize civilians, without even attempting [negotiations], was a double crime."

It was among the greatest crimes ever committed by any human beings ever.

And God hates us for it.

That is why he gave us Bush and Cheney and Nixon and Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh.

They are our punishment.

To all the people stunting their english and pretending to be Japanese to defend Obama: you're not fooling anybody. Especially not when you can't keep yourself from making cracks at the opposition party. In general, nobody cares about the party affiliation of people outside their own country.

Japanese people, including me, are surprised to see that this "bowing" issue is in the news in America.

I saw the picture of Mr. Cheney standing VERY upright shaking hands with the Emperor. Unfortunately, that particular image conveys an impression of arrogance. However, in his defense, with that belly, perhaps Mr. Cheney risks a tumble if he bows.

I was taught how to bow in my elementary school:

15 degrees for a casual greeting;
30 degrees for business environments;
45 degrees for greeting an important person, an apology, or mourning;
90 degrees to greet the Emperor.

Even though we learned it, many Japanese people still cannot bow very well. Considering that, Mr. Obama, an American, bowed very nicely. Since I have seen the Emperor and Empress on the TV, and in photos, etc. many times, I can tell from their facial expression in the video that they're welcoming Mr. Obama with joy and warmth. Bowing and handshaking at the same time looks somewhat comical, but this scene shows "East meets West" and it is very heart-warming.

Some Americans complain the President is showing subordination. To us, it is quite the opposite. He seems to have a great power to disarm people around him with his inter-personal grace and diplomacy. He is the most popular American president ever in Japan, and during his short visit to Japan, he captured the hearts of many more Japanese people.

Even my 80-year-old mother said to me the other day, "I'm gonna get some matcha (green tea-flavored) ice cream, too!" after she saw Mr. Obama on TV, who spoke about his first trip to Japan as a boy—“As a child, I was more focused on the matcha ice cream.”

IMHO, every US citizen should be very proud of having this great man as the President!

I think Obama did right thing in salutation.

Why this bow is wrong when people meet others.

I think your thought is so arrogant and lack in common sense.

Kym, I do not think it is fair attitude to deal this problem. It sounds like that we should go on being insulted everywhere and every time because of guilty of WW2. I understand hatred of you and your people perhaps in Korea (or China) to our people and feel sorry for it actually even if I had not been born in 1941. However, we are living at the present age and this is present problem. It is unfair for us that present people like you in your country force us to accept all of your present demands because of the history and some of you try to revenge at everywhere.

@ Cody

You're forgetting the people of Asia. Millions more were saved because the USA dropped those A-bombs. As a Chinese family in occupied Malaya, I shudder to think what could have happened to my family if the war had dragged on. I probably would not be here today. I don't mean to be callous and I'm not saying dropping the nuclear bomb is a good thing. All I'm saying is it's not so black and white. America made a difficult decision in difficult circumstances and I for one am glad they had the resolve to see it through.

Can't we get a dignified president?

This one and the one before him are international disgraces.

Patricia What is your Point? Why point out "A date which will live in infamy"?

Numbers Woman Numbers? Ok so how many innocence did the Germans Kill? a big big Number for sure. Why no nuke? not even 1. ok sooo "2,345 military and
57 civilians killed" Justifies dropping 2 nukes? Killing Millions of civilians.
not to mention the dropping of napalm on to the wood cities of the Japanese. killing hundreds of thousands per city.
Look it up. America utterly slaughtered them. I’m not defending Japanese actions.
But come on. To scale America got punched so America grabbed a flame thrower made bacon then Dropped 2 ******* A-Bombs. Ok… don’t touch America We got it. But now you guys are in debt so you can’t Go around showing your guns hoping to get obedience sometimes showing humility and showing that you can respect goes a bit farther. He did it wrong but I give him an A for effort.

KDM, thank you for your comment. I understand your feelings. However I would like to say again that our emperor is NOT OUR LEADER. Please note it. Some of people in US seem to misunderstand that we were servant of our emperor in our heart, it were the reason we follow the protocol, especially of bow, and we were forcing you to do same in our country. I would like to say, off course, no for all. Please feel easy. We never do that to you and your president. Furthermore I would like to say such the misunderstanding is insult for us. I would like to remind you that we are well civilized and US is not the only one. I think general Japanese people think Mr.Obama’s behavior is very polite in this matter. Therefore, I wonder why he is criticized in his country. Actually, some news reports say same thing in Japan. I saw both picture and movie of his bow, and feel that it is not so bad in the movie and picture shows unfair moment for him. I agree partially with some Americans’ comments to the protocol we can see below, who is living in Japan, but I think they do not report atmosphere of general people correctly.
After all, I feel that this is domestic incident in your country. I would like to ask some of you not to use our cultural practice as an arm to attack an unfavorite politician. It attacks our culture and pride of our democratic country at a time and is serious insult for us.

Did anyone ever complain when the female Secretary of State, Condolessa Rice AND Madelyn Allbright had to wear the Muslim headdress JUST TO TALK to people in those countries?!!!
It was THEIR CUSTOM!!!
People GET REAL!!
The PResident was being respectful of the culture. HE WAS NOT PRAYING TO THE GUY!

As the Secretary of State, American women have had to adorn themselves with the Muslim head dress in order to just TALK to those in power. Does that make them in agreement with Muslim customs? No! It is a custom in those countries. And no one ever cried foul when Madeline Albright and Condoleesa had to wear those coverings!
Peggy in Memphis