Bowing in Japan is not as simple as simply looking at the ground. It carries with it all sorts of subtle meanings that change depending on the way you bow, the duration of the bow, the angle of the bow. Let us go over the subtleties of the Japanese bow (??? ojigi).

While bowing isn't limited only to Japan, or Asia for that matter, it is especially intertwined into the Japanese culture, especially in the field of Japanese business.

The regular type of bow is called a ?? ritsurei, or standing bow. In a business situation, the lower ranking worker will always bow first. The greater the distance (stautory distance) between the two, the lower the bow will be. Basically the angle of the bow represents the ammount of respect you want to show the reciever of the bow. As a rule of thumb, 15 degrees is enough for a fellow workmate (this degree of bow is called an ?? eshaku), 30 for a superior (a ?? keirei, respectful bow). Of course, you probably won't be bowing that deep to Hiroshi the water purifer maintanance guy, a short nod should suffice then, but if you want to brownnose the company president, bend at the waste, keeping a straight back, and don't look at the person you're bowing to.

A western addition to the business world is the notion of shaking hands. In the past, a simple bow sufficed, but nowadays you can find people bowing while shaking hands. It does make for an awkward looking performance. To avoid smashing faces together, one would usually bow a little to the left if in close proximity.

A bow can be used as a greeting. A short head nod, accompanied by a slight bend of the upper back (the mentioned ?? eshaku above) is a polite nonverbal greeting comparable to waving a hand. You can do this to people who you are on friendly terms with. On that note, don't bow to your own family unless they're your in-laws, or one of your parents is your boss.

It can be used as a device for showing gratitude. The lower the bow, the more grateful you are. If you're super mega grateful, maybe you'll repeat the bow over and over again a number of times, and look silly doing it. Which brings me to the point: bowing is like showing your humility. Because Japan has a very role-oriented culture, it is usually very clear when one should be grateful or humble or apologetic to another. What better way to humblize (is that a word?) yourself than to look like a pelican with something stuck in its throat (maybe this imagery only works in my head). Don't take my words as insulting, I've done a few of these bows before; it just feels right.

The most serious type of bow is likely that of apology. The humility factor comes in again here too. By bowing to someone in an apology, it's like saving face for them, and of course hopefully making them feel a little less angry. These type of bows are usually very ritualized, with very straight angles to the back and proper hand placement. Yes, those things matter. It's not unusual to reach a full on 90 degree angle in a serious apology. It could even lead to the repeated bow, as descibed above, which is a strained back muscle just waiting to happen. But what if this potentially harmful bow isn't enough to display your incredibly apologetic intentions?

Introducing ??? dogeza, the ultimate form of apology. If you allowed your enemies to escape and have to answer to your feudal lord, this is the way to do it. Basically you get down on your hands and knees and put your head close to, or on the ground. It doesn't get much more humble than that.

There are a few other types of bows, the ?? zarei, or sitting bow. It's just that; a bow done while sitting. A ?? mokurei is a silent bow, like you may do at a funeral? Not so sure on that one. One interesting (and it made me laugh the first time I noticed it) was how often Japanese people will bow even when talking over the phone. I guess it's just such an unconscious action that it comes out like that.

As foreigners, we aren't really expected to know the intracate details of bowing. Though of course it helps to know a little, and it's respectful, you'll probably be forgiven for bowing 10 degrees when it should have 18.

For a comical explaination of the different types of bows, check out this video by The Japanese Tradition, who make a lot of funny and slightly educational videos. Take what they teach with a grain of salt though. For that matter, take what I tell you with two grains.