How to Bow

Bowing is done as a sign of respect when you meet someone in your private or business life. It is a very important custom in Japan and you should make an effort to do it properly. There is nothing worse than seeing a foreigner try and half do a bow by just bending the neck or upper torso.

A proper bow should come from the hips. The back and neck should be straight, eyes down. Hands slide down the side of the thighs for men and can be lightly clasped in front of the lap area for women if they please. Bowing from the hips with a straight line through your spine to the top of your head can feel rigid and very forced but don’t try and cut corners because it feels silly. Take your time with it and give the proper respect to the person you are bowing to. It helps to remember that bowing is supplicating yourself to the opposing person as a sign of respect. So be slow, deliberate, bend from the waist, back and neck aligned and straight, hands loosely at side of lap sliding down naturally with your bow, eyes in a downward direction (coming up to meet your partners eyes as you come up from the bow). It helps to remember that a bow is not about you, it is about having the dignity to properly supplicate yourself and hence show your respect for the other person.

Depth of the bow shows the level of formality and respect. Between friends a 15 degree angle is fine. For someone who has done you a favor or you feel deep respect for go to 30 degrees. If the other person bows deeper then do a second bow to show your respect. Sometimes you will end up doing a series of successively shallower bows until you finish.