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

I have a problem with Obama bowing, not for the bows he has done, but for the one he didn't do.

I will take the Whitehouse at its word that this was a show of respect; that Obama bowed to the Emperor of Japan and to the King of Saudia Arabia out of respect.

So, why didn't he also bow to the Queen of England? If he is bowing out of respect then surely he should have also bowed to the Queen of England!

Uh, on behalf of Indonesian people, we apologize.

I think it's our fault.

That stance (handshaking while bowing) is our custom. Even the angle is correct. Indonesians, especially Javanese, do that when greeted by an elder. How much age gap between them affects its angle.

His childhood in Jakarta might have something to do with it.

He's doing his best. I mean, let's think about this a bit. What's important is his sincerity and whatever he tries to bring across in his actions.

This picture says two things:

President Obama was being respectful, performing a traditional bow and modern handshake (the handshake is acceptable in Japan nowadays, moreso for a visitor).

The Emperor and Empress were smiling and looking like they appreciated President Obama's gesture.

President Obama was being respectful and, if he did make any mistake (I don't see that he did, even if he didn't have both arms at his sides), I think it's alright to say that the Emperor and Empress probably appreciated his sincerity and show of respect.

like to aslo say, I Think Obama Bowing the Japan, China, Leaders, Shows "respect" for them, I Dont even think you people understand japan... Im an american and i know BOWING, Shows RESPECT.

And the Person who said 90 Degreese bow for leader well thats correct, Obama did it very well, And for Americans dogging on him is because they NEVER LIKED HIM In the begging, me either, But till i found out of the Nuclear Summit, And the Bows to the Asian Culture, it makes me Respect Obama, And The Leader of japan, And his Wife,Is Probably Acctually Really Glad Obama is in office, Because A(He Respects Them) B(Japan Is still are Ally) so I DOUBT, ITS A BIG BAD THING, For Obama Bowing, to show Generous, Respect, Because For Example, China, Never Bowed to Japan, When They became Allies during the Meji Era "Medevil era to European People" Anyways, Japan Is Very Popular, And Very Powerful, Maybe Not In "war" I Doubt even if Obama, Did get it wrong, I bet the Japanese Emperor Wouldnt Mind Because (A): Many Japanese Cant Bow to Match the Bowing of A Emperor, Because, They Don't wanna Ruin A Bow, Infront of the Emperor, Because of humliation Anyways I Think Obama Deresves A Little bit more respect, Then This, Hes Alot better president then Bush, Nixion, Cliton, Jefferson,

Nixon doesn't appear to be bowing - appears he's bending in to share a word with a man who is 2 feet shorter than he.

Hurray! Obama gets kudos for civility.

The spree was only in conservatist manipulating FOX.
FOX executed questonnair about it and the result was;
The bow was inadequate: 5%
The bow was adequate: 65%
Then FOX shut up.

Oh and don't forget "Operation Keelhaul" in which we handed over 1 million allied Russians (the White Army, Cossacks, etc.) who were fighting alongside us to the Russians.

The American soldiers who took part, cry whenever they tell the story. About how even German SS officers were spitting at them and calling them inhuman.

The Americans handed over 1 million, men, women, and children, and the Soviets would put a bullet in their head after receiving them.

We even herded them on cattle cars before handing them to the Soviets. Some of the cossacks fought back, knowing we were betraying them, our former allies, and sending them to be genocided.

Look it up, Operation Keelhaul. The Allies' act of genocide in WW2.

The Chinese are idiots, the Japanese are idiots, and Americans are idiots. You have all proven this with your lack of historical knowledge/facts.

Pres Obama unlike other Americans knows international protocol for the highest authority in the world with the longest history of royalty.

"Turnaround"

Eisenhower did NOT know about the Atomic bomb. He did NOT meet with Truman and ask him not to use the bomb.

If you are going to make a statement about something that you know nothing about, then stick to something that other people don't know.

Don't make up things and lie to support your beliefs.

Eisenhower knew NOTHING about the bomb, nor did any other commander in the field.

Truman didn't even know until after he became President after the death of President Roosevelt.

It was the most tightly guarded secret of all time.

And it was war. They started it and we finished it.

If Truman had not used the bomb, the total casualties would have exceeded 2 million from both sides. On the US side it would have been military personnel. On the Japanese side it would have been mostly women and children and the elderly because the Japanese government ordered EVERYONE to fight. Children were taught how to disable a tank with a bamboo stick. People were supposed to kill themselves and their children to avoid being taken prisoner. People were ordered to fight heavily armed soldiers with shovels and hoes. They were ordered to kill the soldiers and take their weapons and kill all the soldiers and not to stop until all the invading forces were killed. They were to die to save the Emperor from the humiliation of defeat.

Yeah, an invasion would have been much better.

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

I would like to remind thos bashing America and her people's anger at our President's gesture of something:

Please keep in mind, America is a much younger country than most, and was founded on rejecting the institution of royalty and any kind of hereditary nobility. "No more kings." Those who see his bow to the Japanese Emperor (and the infamous earlier bow to the Saudi king) and pass it off as an attempt at courtesy, fail to see that in doing so he offends one of the deepest principles of our Nation. An American president must comport himself as the equal (not superior) of any other world leader, no matter what that leader's customs demand of others in his/her presence. Anything less is an insult to our sovereignty; if we had such protocols for our elected leaders, other nations' leaders would similarly have to decline them.

Unfortunately, the reverse also works against us--because we have no system of institutionalized deference, it becomes easy for us to forget the signals we may be sending when we mimic the customs of others. As others have said (repeatedly), the bow was one of a servant to his overlord--whatever our President intended it to be. :(

Regardless of those Japanese who claim Obama is just showing "respect" and seeing "humility" in his "bow", as a 30 year plus resident of Japan, I can assure you that if the Japanese Prime Minister made such a spectacle of himself (of course he wouldn't!) by bowing like this to the US President, his government would not last a week. It would be dissolved immediately! The Japanese people would absolutely not stand for it.

JimG,
I hate to break it to you, but there are MANY countries that can disagree with each other and have a civil society governed by laws. It is not unique to America. I am American, but I have also been to many other countries. Yes, there are some terrible countries out there, but there are also many great ones. America is good, but so are many other places. There are other places that enjoy the same freedoms that we do. Americans who believe that America is the be-all and end-all need to do some traveling.

I am a professor at a Japanese university and have lived in this country for over 30 years. Jake's friend is mostly correct in his assessment, but his citing Nixon's "bow" as a precedent is most definitely incorrect. Nixon's "bow" is done quite properly and is not obsequious in the least. It is a proper Japanese greeting between equals. Nixon (or his staff) did his homework and did not make a fool of himself.
Obama's bow has caused quite a bit of snickering among my Japanese friends. It is a major breach of protocol to shake hands while bowing, and as my Japanese wife pointed out, even most Japanese would not have bowed that low.
My wife said she mostly feels sorry for him for making such a fool of himself. I think that shows the level of discomfort that this bow has occasioned.

Friend, I just find amazing difference in sense of emperor between some of you and our nation. Let me explain it. First of all, our emperor is NOT our leader. He is a kind of national flag in US. We never compare your president with our emperor as well as we never do our Mr.Hatoyama with him, Queen Elizabeth 2, or your Stars and Stripes when he pay respect to him, her or it.
I hope you find our feelings for this matter although you cannot accept it and feel better to enjoy the day.

I'm Japanese. Obama's way of bowing was fine. Stupid republicans.

I find Obama's behaviour cringeworthy even though I'm not American.

To all those who said he was just being respectful. Haven't you read the article? Obama got it wrong! The bows should be mutually deep. Even the Japanese were embarrassed for him!

And to those who said, 'What's wrong with showing respect to the Emperor of Japan?' As the leader of his country, he's the equal of Emperor Akihito. It's nobody else's business if he bows as a private citizen. He could prostrate himself for all anyone cares. But as POTUS he represents America. This subservient behaviour is a bad reflection on your country.

To All americans
Hello,Nice to meet you.Are you fine?
I'd like to remark about The 44th US President:Mr Barack Obama-bow toward our
nation's Emperor Akihito.
Mr President's bow is never discourtesy but proper greeting.Since I'm real Japanese. Coversely,your English expression:"Your Imperial Majesties" is wrong,"Your majesties" is right,no?
Mr President's bow or greeting never gave also "Weakness"-impression to the world,I suppose so.
His bow to JP-emperor:Akihito or Saudi Arabia-King:Abdullah never give "Weakness"-impression,"Fox" is Rep:Elephant-propaganda media,I know it.But there is no time for that now in US and the world,no?
It's very important for US to combine "Red&Blue or Blue&Red".
We,JP have already experienced "Bubble Economy Burst" enough!
Why did not you,US learned JP failure?
Nway,Mr President's gentle style is famous in US,no?
To Mr JohnQ,you are "John McCain",no?
Then,wish US&Worldwide economy crisis-recovery&Calm-life,asap.

Post Script:
Just now,it's the most neccessay for US&us to be "United Soul of America"! with hand to hand,heart to heart,no?

Then,thank you for all the US-People!

The reaction of my Japanese friends has been laughter...to them he's just another clumsy foreigner with no grasp of etiquette. But the fact that he's a country's leader makes them uncomfortable I think. Akihito's smile looks somewhat strained.

As two leaders of countries, these men are equals and should have bowed slightly in the same way. As it is Obama just looks silly. If he were Japanese and he bowed that deeply, he'd definitely be communicating subordination. As an American, all he's communicating from the Japanese point of view is ignorance and "outsiderness," not necessarily weakness or whatever, because Japanese generally don't expect foreigners to know all the rules for good manners.

If Obama was trying to be culturally correct, he should have done some more research! ><

"not in the form of a first year English teacher trying to impress with Karate Kid-level knowledge of Japanese customs"

And even THAT is a poor example. Didn't Miyagi smack his pupil and tell him "Always look eyes!"

While there is the question of whether he should have bowed or not, it sounds like most of you are missing the larger point.

He did it wrong. Completely and totally wrong.

If he was trying to be polite and respectful, the very least he could have done was DO IT CORRECTLY.

If you're going to undertake another countries cultural traditions, at least make an attempt to get it right. THAT would be polite and respectful.

This bow shows that he have social intelligence, as many of you apperently do not have. You don't gain anything if you don't show respect to other cultures. President Obama showed fully that he is a man of words and dignity over substance and action. He is the person who can understand the true meaning of humbleness even though or because he is truly the top person of the most strongest country on this planet earth

Oh buddy, lets get out the paddle and beat some sense into Obama. I mean come on, who really gives a rats about how he bowed? I guess living in United States, I should be like everyone else and complain about how Obama bowed the the Emperor. Well, there isn't a point. Also we are is a bunch of babies and will whine about it till we can get our way. I guess bowing is nothing more than a handshake. Come on United States, lets complain some more about it.

The deep bow expressed by President Obama when he went to the Palace in Tokyo seems to become an issue in the United States.

What is wrong? And what is the news? Isn't it nice for President being respectful to a head of state and its people?

A spokesman of the State Department correctly commented that the bow was intended to show respect for the Emperor and the people of Japan. This blog think that the couteous manner impressed Japanese people and it's been very well received in Japan.

Her Majesty Empress shaked hands with President even though shaking hands is not a Japanese custom. To stick to the western way of showing respect by shaking hands is only a prejudice and Japanese nationals noticed that President Obama is never narrow-minded and rude to stick to one's own rules and culture as a former President and then Japanese prime minister pretended to peform an Elvis music instrument.

President Obama showed fully that he is a man of words and dignity over substance and action. He is the person who can understand the true meaning of humbleness even though or because he is truly the top person of the most strongest country on this planet earth.

The writer of this blog is not an American but I would say, come on now, for the criticising part of the society to know that there are plenty of things to debate over and restore the trust which was destroyed by the neocons and market fundamentalists both in the United States and Japan, between the most important allies in the world.

I could see in the courteous and elgant manner of President Obama, an audacity of hope as his biography book title suggested and a new born strength of the United States of America. Utterly there should not be any consciousness of master servant relationship on both sides of the Pacific ocean, and there should remain a solid mutual respect.

Agree, Obama's form looks awkward but I think it has everything to do with the fact that Obama is around 6'2" and Emperor Akihito quite frankly is diminutive. Now if you want to talk about REALLY bad form, complete crassness actually - consider the ex-VP, Cheney, badmouthing a sitting president every chance he gets. At least Bush is handling his retirement from office with some class. No surprise that knuckle-dragging Cheney mistakes being evolved and worldly as "weakness".

I do understand why people from a young country like USA don't understand the consept of emperors and royal families. But I do NOT understand why you think you are better than everyone else... Maybe it's time for us to collect the money you have borrowed. Tell you who is in charge.

PS: Did you know that many European countries used to send all the poor and uneducated people to USA to get rid of them? What a great country USA is!

It's amazing to me how right wingers will take any chance to tear down the President even over really stupid stuff like this. It's just... disgusting. Right wingers are truly anti-American.

jon erik said: "This bowing as Obama does show here shows that he have social intelligence, as many of you apperently do not have. You don't gain anything if you don't show respect to other cultures.."

jon, did you even read this? He did the bow wrong. He looks like he's going to fall over. Instead of assuming something, read it.

'Patricia | Nov 17, 2009 10:03:56 AM'
I think you mean Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt died on January 6, 1919.