Japanese bowing has different angles, at what angle is it said to be a sign of deep respect or an apology (five degrees, fifteen degrees, thirty degrees, forty-five degrees) ?
Question #19387. Asked by ranu.
Last updated Aug 06 2023.
Response last updated by satguru on Aug 06 2023.
May 26 2002, 9:50 AM
Barrow boy
Answer has 2 votes
Barrow boy 22 year member
532 replies
Answer has 2 votes.
I have had some interesting reading on this subject! Japanese culture is apparently more complex than we can understand from five minutes of browzing. The consensus is that 45 degrees is the MINIMUM required for an apology, whereas a serious apology requires 90 degrees. I have copied the following article to demonstrate that even this may not be enough!
The Feb. 9th sinking of the Ehime Maru fishing boat by the U.S.S. Greenville submarine has caused quite a stir in Japan. At the center of the nation's attention are the families of the 9 victims of this tragic accident. Apparently, these family members are upset about the quality of the apology that they are receiving. In a land where the president of an airline will personally visit the families of each victim involved in a fatal accident, the apology recently offered by visiting U.S. Admiral William Fallon was viewed as inappropriate. Specifically, his apology was seen as insincere because he didn't bow deep enough.
In Japan, learning how to bow correctly is very important. There are even schools that teach what degree of bowing is appropriate for a given situation. For example, a routine greeting would warrant a 15 degree tilt, while a 30 degree bow would be appropriate for greeting a VIP. For an apology, 45 degrees would be the minimum one should bow. However, for an apology of this level, nothing but the most humble bow will do: kneeling on the floor and touching your head to the ground. Anything short of this and you would being insulting rather than apologetic.