Japanese Manners Book: Obama's "Saikeirei" Bow Was Sign of Apology & It Was Mean
Posted by Jim Hoft on Monday, November 16, 2009, 4:46 AM
He’s so very sorry.
Obama bows to the Japanese emperor. He was one out of 47 to do so.
Free Republic translated the Japanese guide to manners and finds that Obama’s waiter’s bow was not only subservient and apologetic but it was mean.
We can say that to only lower your head is not so good for a Japanese bow. You will give the impression that your bow falls short. There are also the cases of somebody bowing their head repeatedly. In doing this, one might think you are paying the deepest respect and consideration, are being polite, etc., but the sentiment which should be expressed in the Japanese bow fails to be expressed doing this. When bowing while standing, their is the “highest respectful bow” (saikeirei), which is executed from a position of standing straight upward, and then bending 45-degrees or more. “Respectful bow” is at 30-to-40 degrees, and everyday “eshaku” around 15-degrees.
“Saikeirei” is not seen on a regular basis, but is used in order to offer an apology, or when one is extremely grateful for something received, as well as performed before the altar of Shinto shrines and Bhuddist temples. In case of a handshake, straighten the back, and by all means one must look directly into the face (eyes) of the recipient of one’s handshake. It is not to be too strong and not too light. Too strong will reflect an insult and too weak will not reflect good will. In America, such a weak handshake is called a “dead fish handshake”, with the feeling being that the person wielding a dead fish. And, shaking a hand while performing a bow will be seen as subservient (“servile”, “supple”, “mean”), and is not to be done.
More… Obama’s bow made him look like an idiot.
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Published May 23, 2012 at 11:51 pm - 49 Comments
manateespirit commented:
His bow bespeaks his actions. They are one in the same.
Idiotic.
Uriel commented:
I have an idea that might help our President and our country if global warming is truely real and we have to clean up our use of energy…but without this America killer cap and trade bill.
On a voluntary basis, electric customers can send an extra, what? something that wont hurt the pocketbook for those with little income, $10.00 a month on their bill that will be added as credits for the customer to build up and for the electric company to use towards building and delivering and setting up solar panels and wind turbines for every household that participates in the program….Once the $10.00 a month reaches the credit point needed, the electric company can come and set up the home systems so that the individual homes can make their OWN energy from renewable sourses and thus one day eleminate monthly electric bills for the homeowner…but the electric company doesnt go out of business since homeowners will NEED someone to do instalations and maintain all that stuff from that point on…so its a win win for everyone and the government can take Cap and Trade and flush it down the toilet.
It will take time to build up credits and revenuse by $10.00 extra a month, but so? At least it will be EASY on the low income and they will be investing in green energy for the future. All Americans can participate in this and hopefully will pay for itself when we can finally toss out the monthly electric bill when we produce our own energy needs from our houses with solar, wind, and maybe geothermal sourses too…
The President would do more for the enviorment, our economy, and help the free market at the same time with this idea instead of killing jobs, and really doing nothing with cap and trade and ‘carbon credits’ that really only help the rich big liberal companies.
problem solved
NeoKong commented:
Uh hoh geez….
This guy is embarrassing.
DaughterofAR commented:
Would explain the emperoress’s “What the…?” look in the video…
Obama is a complete failure and an utter embarassment.
Maybe he should do an Arsenio Hall thing and just give ‘shout-outs’ leaving the leadership to competent people. Would he even be relevant if he were not ‘playing president’?
Resounding NO.
Ginger commented:
He is an IDIOT….. and then some.
Just Brayin' commented:
B-b-but Booooooooosh!
Can someone help me out?
I’m smart!
LockandLoad commented:
How about the Emperor coming over to Hawaii and bowing, asking forgiveness for the thousands the Japanese killed during WWII??
The Emperor was left as a figure headed when he should have been executed.
Gini commented:
At least BHO didn’t offer a “knuckle bump”.
ar05075 commented:
More… Obama’s bow made him look like an idiot.
—————————————————
Obama IS an Idiot.
Sequoia commented:
I was wondering if I missed something on Gateway Pundit…is there a new speach code out there? If so, I’d really like to know what can and can’t be said.
myna commented:
Whoever advised Obama is an idiot. Does Obama have this slave mentality bowing to every Master he meets? Does he ever have a history lesson that Japan was lead by a tyrannical emperor in WWII? The dreadful death march, biological warfare and inhumane treatment and death of Asian people.
Betsy Ross commented:
What do you expect from the Master of Insulting Gestures?
madcap commented:
He looks like an awkward teenage nerd. Just be thankful he didn’t demonstrate his prowess in the kung fu that he gleened from Jackie Chan’s movies.
Clifford Boerema commented:
> “More… Obama’s bow made him look like an idiot.”
What you see is what you get.
B.O. iwas just demonstrationg what we all know he wants. For America to abbandon its exceptionalism, so that it can be draged down to, or below, the level of all the rest of the countries in the world, none of which has ever been able to accomplish even half of what the United States has accomplished.
Chisum commented:
Tapper’s “Friend” is Wrong about “The Bow”
Ok, let’s dispense with the silliness of which the left will go to explain away Obama’s bow.
http://macsmind.blogspot.com/2009/11/tappers-friend-is-wrong-about-bow.html
jim commented:
This jackass is a national disgrace.
The upside of this character is he may wake up the snoozers in this country to vote him out along with the career crook politicians. Purge Congress, get new people in, get term limits, get back to the Founders principles.
Ann commented:
(Posted on the other wrong thread)
What the world is saying too: From Yid with Lid:
Sunday, November 15, 2009
BRITISH Paper Labels Obama “The Groveler in Chief”
http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2009/11/british-paper-labels-obama-groveler-in.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YidWithLid+%28YID+With+LID%29
Article 1
Section 9
8: No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
Under the Constitution he should be impeached when he chaired the UN Council, now the first Asain Pacific President.
Article 1
Section 9
8: No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
Of course we all know what he thinks of the Constitution.
law breaker-in-chief
Ann commented:
Excert:
Obama branded ‘Groveller-in-Chief’ after deep bow to Emperor son of Japanese ruler who authorised Pearl Harbour attack
By David Gardner
President Obama has been branded the ‘Groveller-in-Chief’ after giving an exaggerated bow to Japan’s emperor Akihito – the son of the ruler who authorised the
1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.
Coming so soon after Remembrance Day, the deep bow caused an outcry in the U.S.
While it was seen as a sign of respect in Japan, Mr Obama was attacked in America for ‘bowing and scraping’ to a foreign leader, particularly a Japanese one. Wartime scars are still raw for many Americans.
AuntieMadder commented:
So, do you think Obama knew what the bow means or was this just another faux pas? Or, in other words, was this an intentional f*** up?
fallingfast commented:
Today…Japan, tomorrow….China…(after he takes away Americans right to bear arms)
What a empty, empty little suit
Larkin commented:
Dear Mr. Emperor,
.
As King…er, President of the United States, I humbly apologize for Americans having had the bad manners to defend themselves against your innocent peace delegation of December 7, 1941.
It will never happen again.
.
b.h. obama
Ann commented:
AuntieMadder
November 16th, 2009 | 9:22 am | #22
IMO: If he doesn’t know what it means and who Akihito is he is not quaified to be the POTUS;if he does know he is not qualified to be the POTUS.
Could be all that experience he had in foreign policy: grade school in Indonisia; 2 weeks vacation in Pakistan at the age of 21; campaign for Muslim terroist Odinga in Kenya.
Oh yes, and buddies with Syrian born Resko, Saddum Hussein money bagman Auchi, Saudi Dr Mansour, Jew hater George Soros, Muslim terrorist groupie (NOI)in the US, Louis Farrakhan to name a few
AuntieMadder commented:
Ann
November 16th, 2009 | 10:00 am | #27
Of course, with his international upbringing he knows.
Just_Saying commented:
Interesting to me how much Obummer’s bows resemble Muslim prayer bows. Perhaps that’s the bow he learned in Indonesia…
.
Bob commented:
Obama is a man made disaster!
Jim Rose commented:
I want to put a word balloon over the Emperor saying “Bad back?”
USMC Thomas commented:
Kingfish and Sapphire bumble through their world tour.
wanumba commented:
Ann
November 16th, 2009 | 10:00 am | #27
AuntieMadder
November 16th, 2009 | 9:22 am | #22
“Could be all that experience he had in foreign policy: grade school in Indonisia; 2 weeks vacation in Pakistan at the age of 21; campaign for Muslim terroist Odinga in Kenya.”
……………………….
Good reminder!
Liberal Dem last year tried to get us to concur that Obama had “international relations experience” because he lived overseas.
After five seconds of stunned disbelief needed to absorb the magnitude of that idiocy (“The Palin Stare”), we replied, “He was in KINDERGARTEN. International Relations in WHAT?!?? Potty breaks, recess, coloring?”
Person in question not speaking to us any more.
wanumba commented:
Know what else is so ridiculous? If a white guy told Obama to bow he’d have a BIRD all the way back to Trinity United “Oh-No-You-Doh-ont!!” Ol’ Rev Wright would be purple with outrage, slamming his fist on the pulpit, rending his West African Muslim robes with total fits as the congregation wept with tears of injustice.
BUT, Americans of ALL COLORS are telling Obama to STAND UP AND BE AMERICAN, as an AMERICAN PRIVATE CITIZEN he bows to NO ONE, much LESS as the POTUS, but he’s grovelling around the world like he was raised a servant or slave, NOT a WEALTHY FREE MAN educated in the world’s most prestigious universities!!! He DIDN’T learn to bow ANYWHERE in the USA. NO AMERICAN expects or demands bowing from ANYONE.
So, that’s a very good question: What is his problem????
Obviously “community organizing” didn’t have any interest in or courses on International relations, protocols, diplomacy, or any foreign languages, whatsoever. So, what happened to the WHite House and State Department PROTOCOL specialists?
Oh! State Department! Dear friend and collegue Hillary and all her PUMAs.
Just may have explained EVERYTHING. But, that’d just make Obama’s Team plain old dupes.
Andreas K. commented:
Which is exactly what I said in my first post about this “incident”.
Magnum commented:
Why is there such an uproar over what you are supposed to do in someone else’s country? Here people get sued over Nativity scenes and can’t fly the stars and stripes.
Maybe Obama should have hauled off and kicked him in the nads. Local laws/traditions be damned.
Or does that only count if you are white-Christian-American?
Obama and his idiot followers have ruined this country and set race relations back 50 years.
Who cares that he looks like fool in Japan; we look like fools in our own land!
Thanks jack@sses!
Sarge commented:
One gets the deep impression from that photo that Obama is confused; why won’t the emperor turn around so Obama can complete his obeisance?
Patrick Chester commented:
I think the correct saying in Japanese is:
Obama no baka!
(Perhaps Ruri from Martian Successor Nadesico isn’t a good source…)
Brad commented:
I thought Bush was the dumb guy? Yeesh! Three more years of this idiot? Lord help us.
Joanne commented:
Obama is apologizing for winning the war against Japan…..bad, bad America.
John Ziemba commented:
In a comment to a previous post I said I’d ask some of my Japanese friends what they thought. These are businessmen in their thirties and forties. Here are the results.
Out of five different guys, ony one thought the bow was “strange.” No one said it made them think worse of Obama. They all thought that the average Japanese guy would look upon the bow positively, as in, he’s genuinely trying to show respect.
No one thought the bow was poorly executed outside of the combination of shaking hands with bowing, but Japanese are inclined to give a lot of leeway to foreigners.
I asked them to demonstrate what kind of bow they would give to the Emperor, and most of them gave a much shallower bow, with the exception of one guy, a serious type, who bowed just as deeply as BHO, but held the pose for a few seconds.
Some commented that these days, Japanese don’t know how to bow so much. Businessmen both bow and shake hands, one saying that he watches the other guy’s eyes and sees which he’s going to do.
When I mentioned that some Japanese politicians would think it made him look weak, they seemed not to have thought of that immediately,but…yeah, it sounds about right.
Upshot: as much as I like to dump on Barry O, It doesn’t seem he made any huge faux pas here in Japanese eyes. When I commented that other heads of state didn’t bow, one of my friends said that Obama’s trying to be a little different, and since it was in Japan, that was appropriate. And if he had executed a perfect saikeirei, I suspect it would have freaked the Japanese out. Like if Mao had played give me five, give it high, give it low, with Nixon.
Now, you’re going to find a range of responses, but my five friends I think gave a pretty representative reaction.
On the other hand, when BHO’s shown holding his crotch while others around him are saluting the flag or have their hands over their hearts, that does make me think that he feels his own country’s traditional signs of respect are not so important, but thinks it’s really neat to show how international he is by doing as the Romans, etc., do. Not surprising. Also, he cares more about how his gestures play in Peking, say, then Peoria.
I bet he gets voted out in 2012 and winds up as Secretary General of the U.N. You heard it here first. He’d be so much happier there. I guess we would, too. I…guess.
Terry Hirabayashi commented:
To John,
This analysis might be air-tight in a Western sense–but I am not sure as I don’t know all the details. That’s because it is really key to understand the possible if not probable surface Japanese response(s) here, even if five random people were polled. First, is there any level of assurance that they offered their frank *honne* in responding or just their *tatemae*? Second point, Japanese are extremely averse to offering any criticism of foreigners in Japan-especially those there for very little time as residents or brief first-time visitors making social faux pas. Not to mention the higher on the ladder such as Obama who has been crafted and packaged into near god-like stature through a constant year of Japanese media coverage never touching on the critical of him, probably the less criticism you might get; and finally, the Japanese also don’t want to embarrass their own Emperor–even though he did not initiate the public embarrassment, he was an unwilling part of it. Japanese in such an uncomfortable situation might well just say “kusai mono ni wa futa wo seyo” (let bygones be bygones, or more directly, put a lid on smelly things). With these things in mind, one might well have had to poll about 50 Japanese, and do so with some level of alcoholic beverages involved for them to truly loosen their neckties and come out with their *honne*, or what they truly, truly feel. It is also true, although a minor side point, that anybody in their 20s or maybe 30s in Japan is not going to know the protocol very well, those in a higher age bracket are going to fully understand the social mistake that seems to have been made here.
John Ziemba commented:
Terry–
Excellent points, excellently expressed!
It’s very possible I wasn’t getting honne responses, but I doubt it based on my vast experience with things Japonical. THink of Sean Connery in Rising Sun.
All joking aside, I really do believe they were being mostly straight. Full disclosure: they weren’t technically my “friends:” I teach ENglish at an international school in Boston, and many of our clients are Japanese businessmen. I myself lived in Japan for nine years (Fukushima and Niigata until a couple of years ago) while I was in my late 30s to forties, and can speak so-so Japanese, although really can’t call myself fluent–and am very inclined to believe anything negative about Obama. The years of piling on W plus the press’s coddling of The One have made me a bitter, bitter, man.
I try, but may not be all that successful in keeping my political leanings to myself, so I suspect that at least some of the students were aware of my bias. So there’s a chance that if they were trying to please me, they could have been hyper-critical. We’ve gone out to eat and drink together more than once, so we’re pretty friendly. Maybe I’ll try again when we can, uh, nomunicate better.
My “random sampling” was the group that happened to be thrown together to study English in Boston–engineers for steel companies, pharmaceudicals, a software engineer, a guy that works for Inax. Upper middle class males. Of course, Japanese who can speak English well are de facto a minority, an elect group, so I can’t say that my sampling was random. Perhaps the guys swilling Jinro in the snacks and the sound truck boys would have a different opinion. Filthy animal–how dare he touch our Emperor!
Oh, by the way, I got to talk to one more and basically got the same take: he believed that the average Taro would look upon The O-Bow-ma incident positively, although the handshake was a blunder, the angle was a little too deep, and, oh, looking down and not into the eyes conveyed apology rather than greeting. But what can you expect–he’s a gaijin. A for effort. They might snicker amongst themselves that such a highly vetted figure still can’t really get it right, but I don’t agree with you that the basic Japanese reaction will be negative.
It’s been my impression that most furriners, Europeans included, have no idea that there’s any resentment about The One, and if there is, it can only be based on racism. They’re all relieved that Bush is gone and are more than inclined to like Obama.
Maybe Derbyshire’s right. We’re all doomed and heading hellwards in a handbasket. Mr President, take your bow!