The Subtle Art of Japanese Bowing

Learn Japanese with Yuta: bit.ly/3hYLuX3
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Do you know how exactly Japanese people bow? Can you bow appropriately in the right situation? Bowing plays a lot of important roles in Japan and Japanese people bow differently depending on the situation. In this video, I'll talk about the subtle art of Japanese bowing.
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[@ThatJapaneseManYuta]

If you want to live in Japan, work with Japanese people and socialise with them, small gestures like bows can go a long way. These things will make Japanese people think you really understand Japan. But there's one more thing that's important: speaking Japanese. So if you don't speak Japanese, I can teach you the kind of Japanese that Japanese people actually speak, unlike "textbook" Japanese which can be unnatural and outdated. So click here and subscribe bit.ly/3i03JLD

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

That Japanese Man Yuta Thanks for the advice

[@drag0nblight]

I am curious. Dogeza seems to be a 90-degree bow while sitting on your folded legs, is it possible to do the first three bows while sitting? I also maybe saw characters do bows while sitting in Feudal Japan themed Animés.

[@zenbright9213]

I think that as a man of African descent that living in japaJapan was tough. Finding work was not fun

[@OllamhDrab]

It probably helps to watch people and pay attention to context. :)

[@akiojuni8445]

This is a wonderful video, many thanks, Yuta san, I also sub, may I ask you this : when you meet your future boss, do you have to bow before him or do you have to wait ? how many times do you have to bow when you meet him, once, twice ? Thanks for answer :-)

[@MrGamerTH]

Bow to sensei/ elderly: 360 degree bow

[@lisamwong]

That's when your judo sensei hip throws you and you go 360 degrees because you sit up fast.😄

[@revangerang]

A somersault ?? 😂

[@loulou3676]

When you leave Japan but you can't stop bowing

[@abcdefghilihgfedcba]

I’m Italian and I bow… never been to Japan in my life. I took Japanese lessons though and my native teacher bowed a lot. Can’t remember if I picked up the habit from her or had it from before…

[@anushaviraktamath472]

I got to know that Japanese bow ,and it is thier culture that when the lesson which appeared in 2nd puc English text book .I was shocked after reading it,in that it was written they bow to everyone according to their social position ,age,etc ... And everyone keeps bowing to everyone present over there and each bow differentially categorised,after hearing I have dream of visiting Japan atleast one's in my life...I just love this culture of bowing 🙏🙏🙏

[@dosh7276]

I've been to Japan once, after that everytime I bought something at the cashier I always bow, its a habit now

[@marica6776]

The casual bow is a hard one to break out of

[@mastermarkus5307]

I get the impression that dogeza is seen more in media than the average person's real life, like in Yakuza and historical dramas, where extreme life-and-death apologies would be more... necessary.

[@ThreadBomb]

I read something by a Westerner in Japan. He saw a guy in a flashy car cut off a guy with "yankee" hair driving a truck with lumber in the back. This caused some of the lumber to fall out of the truck. The yankee dragged the other guy out of his car, took him to the side of the road, and threatened the guy with a piece of wood until he did dogeza. After this the yankee loaded up his truck and drove away. So even if it doesn't happen very often, it is something all Japanese are aware of. BTW, this seems like a happy story compared to the American version in which someone would probably get beaten up or shot.

[@mastermarkus5307]

@@ThreadBomb Interesting story, but I never said that Japanese people weren't AWARE of it, just because it didn't happen often.

[@chrom0xide123]

I just knew the comical way dogeza is used in anime. (There it is mostly clear that it is a bit over the top )

[@Zerbey]

Like he said, it's rarely seen in modern Japanese culture and most people would find it faintly ridiculous. Historically it was commonly used to show deference to nobles and royalty.

[@AddaeAkono]

I didn't know that there were different types of bows used for different situations. Nice use of the Spirited Away film.

[@rowanhawklan9707]

There's a great example of the deep bow in A Silent Voice which happens twice between two of the characters, it's also a fantastic movie as well if you've never seen it!

[@BradTheThird]

"The Ultimate Bow" I don't know why, but I found that description hilarious.

[@MrMiggoH]

@MichaelKingsfordGray OMEGALUL

[@silverstorm1000]

I think it was the intensity of his expression as he said it. I imagine it like a RPG skill or something "Ojigi" 5mp "THE ULTIMATE BOW" 30mp

[@mrnarason]

Dogeza when you request mercy from your yakuza boss

[@Frahamen]

Yeah, I think it's used a lot more in fiction than in real life...

[@TheDutchMaurits]

@@Frahamen Have you been in a situation before where you had to beg for mercy from your yakuza boss then? :p

[@phir9255]

Or if your school friend is an only person who can help you with your very important homework so he is now jokingly demanding your utter respect and devotion, so you do dogeza to make him feel awkward and ashamed himself.

[@NihonJack]

Wow, you and I have really grown a lot since we made that collaboration video. I remember it like it was yesterday but it was 4 years ago.

[@1KayBilly]

The most casual bow you talk about is also standard in the USA, even if we don't consider it a bow. Just a little head nod that can mean "thanks," "I acknowledge you exist," "the conversation has ended and I am leaving," or other communications based on context. Basically, any gentle message that would be obvious based on the situation and does not need words.

[@ThreadBomb]

That's not a bow, that's just a nod. A bow is slower, and you're leaning the whole neck forward, not just tilting your head.

[@EthanRDoesMC_]

short head tilt up can be a "c'mere," as in to start a conversation, or a more casual "hey", in the US.

[@ShawnRoggow]

Bro, this is so fucking cool. The deepness of humans can go beyond words. Body language is older than language itself.

[@Torgo63]

I remember a time when I visited a supplier about 20 years ago in Hachinohe,.... As we were walking between buildings on a tour of the facility, a junior engineer was running very fast around the corner of a building that we were approaching, and almost ran into us. As he rounded the corner heading toward me, he realized we were visitors and bowed in mid-air. I'll never forget it because it was so genuine and dramatic. Also, at 4:15 you have the two business people exchanging cards. In my experience the cards aren't exchanged simultaneously, and are almost always offered and received with two hands. Can you comment on that? Thanks for the great videos.

[@vsm1456]

I also heard that thing about business cards when you're supposed to hold it in both hands. I wonder why's the difference.

[@TheLocoUnion]

I always thought it was two hands!

[@-randomuser-4897]

​​​@@vsm1456Also, slightly lowering your card before offering it seems to help show respect

[@dracoerrarus4834]

I read once that men bow with their arms at their side while women bow with their hands together. Is this true or does it depend on the situation?

[@JR-jv8hz]

men - hands on their side women - hands on the front on their thighs

[@ThreadBomb]

Yes, I would like Yuta to do a follow-up video looking at what to do with your hands while bowing. Also, I think he needs to stress that you don't maintain eye contact while doing a formal bow.

[@user-saraswatidevi]

Only in korea

[@vkotis]

When I was buying something in Seven Eleven in Japan once, the store clerk bowed at 90 degrees. So I guess a lot of times it comes down to personal preference. I always bow in Japan when I say thanks, I think it really shows appreciation coming from a foreigner.

[@brend584]

Hello. I find myself bowing slightly sometimes when I finish talking to people or when I walk past someone I know.

[@CugnoBrasso]

hey

[@nailmirror]

I realized the same thing. I don't know if it's due to social awkwardness or if I'm a natural-born weeaboo.

[@hiraethia8419]

i picked it up some years ago but never realized it till someone told me

[@OllamhDrab]

It kind of caught on with me in the US for various reasons, between lots of martial arts people and Renfaires and me generally not liking to raise my voice. (I could actually see a lot of Americans who go to Japan kind of being inclined to bow deeper cause of like kendo class or something. There's a certain routine formality about that kind of thing. )

[@OllamhDrab]

@@brend584 I dunno, but it seems that specifics aside, it's pretty natural , at ;east in casual forms, so people from many places may get the point.

[@ceresbane]

I think Yuta fixed the bug where he spawns on the spot and falls to the ground before resuming his standard animation. Did you finally upgrade to a new engine?

[@TyroneBruinsmaFilms]

I suddenly got interested in finding greeting/bowing cultural Traditions from around the world. Thank you very much for this education. Arigato

[@JazGalaxy]

I really want to see a public apology channel now. I feel like I could watch those all day. I am incredibly curious about each of the situations.

[@ThreadBomb]

Wow, that sound like something that could actually take off in Japan.

[@bobbinsnthimbles]

I nod my head when I say thankyou, and when I move back to let my elders to go in front of me I do a little bow and nod. I didn't realise i did it until my daughter pointed it out! Maybe it's a generational thing in Britain, my parents were older when I was born & manners mattered more I think.

[@Zerbey]

I do the same, I don't recall being taught to do it but it just feels proper. In the UK the only people you're "required" to bow to are Royalty, and even that is starting to become less common as the younger royals are much more informal than the Queen's generation.

[@HoboGirl09]

I found this very informative. I currently live in America but work in a largely Japanese area. So I frequently have people bowing at me so knowing the types is really helpful. I would like to see other videos on Japanese mannerisms.

[@miyama8936]

In Austria we also do a sort of slight bow. Especially to old people we nod very deeply while greeding them, but not as extrem as Japanese people do it.

[@ThreadBomb]

This is true. The bowing tradition is one thing that Japan and German countries have in common, but sadly it's dying out in the West.

[@Zenju__]

Great video, Yuta! I like how your explanation was descriptive and used many real-life situations to illustrate your points.

[@LympyDownunder]

This is an epiphany for me, I often wonder why Japanese tourists aren't super surprised when I understand their language and sometimes they talk to me in Japanese naturally despite me not looking Japanese at all. I wondered how they can tell that I (may) know Japanese and I realized from this is that my mannerisms are giving it away without me knowing.

[@Night_Rose_94]

Thanks Yuta! This is really interesting. Didn't know this much about bowing. Very cool video

[@StudioKonKon]

It is interesting and not something I normally think about. Slight bowing/nodding is also quite common in the UK even if many don't notice it (in my area at least. I can't say much about London or the south), and more rarer among immigrants for some reason. Usually when getting off the bus, crossing the road (when let through) or thanking someone. Among the Christians in the church I visit, we usually do a normal bow when greeting one another when at a distance (but otherwise shake hands if close enough). One old women last week, in the shop I work, accidentally broke some glasses, she kept bowing deeply even when I continued to tell her it's all okay and not to worry (this one is very very rare though).

[@Espeonchan]

How can someone dislike this?

[@NickVA2394]

7:44 This bow isn't even my final form.

[@dakotagordon8756]

What DOES your "final form" look like?

[@1Kittywicked24]

Thank you for this video. I have always been wanting to know how to bow , how deeply or not to bow and the situation which each bow is appropriate. Enjoyed video and learning very much .

[@matstarfighter8262]

The examples you used are great to follow along!

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

Bowing is a great show of respect in Japanese culture, I noticed that even in restaurants, some people bow to servers and waiters

[@ThreadBomb]

Bowing to staff in restaurants is just a way of saying thanks.

[@AverageDude-vw6ed]

hey yo

[@manuelp7472]

During my 18 day stay in Japan, I unconsciously adapted the slight bow without even noticing it. It is interesting how fast I adopted to this behavior.

[@jasuly]

Thank you for providing this information, as someone who wants to study abroad in japan, this was informational.

[@elvisdee9502]

Very informative. Very well articulated explanations. Good Job!

[@missjohnson2346]

To comment more so about uou as a teacher: you are very efficient when explaining the content. Very informative.

[@user-hm6xy8ii1o]

3:55 this was so cute 😭

[@silverstorm1000]

I was really bad at this I think when I went to Japan. I would often bow back at staff when they bowed but maybe too deeply. I think I did like 45 degrees? And I noticed a couple of times they would then bow again but lower this time and I felt kinda bad like I was setting off this weird polite loop of bowing at each other. I think it was a bit of misunderstanding where I was thinking "Ahh I should bow back to be polite and respectful" and they were like "Oh, she's bowing back, I should bow deeper to be respectful." So try not to bow too deeply because it can put people on edge a bit or they might basically 'correct' a more casual bow if you bow too deeply at them. I think it's hard to get used to since I would want to try to act equal to them to make them feel more comfortable, but actually it just sets the bar higher for how polite they have to be since I think there's an expectation that they be more formal and polite than customers always. If I could do some of these interactions over again I would bow more casually and not set off the weird polite bow loops and torture these poor staff members haha.

[@ungezoockt]

bowing battle, who can go deeper then the other one?

[@nathanlaird]

It's not that complicated. Whoever is offering the most respect bows lower and first. If you are serving a customer, you bow deeper. If you are a student or employee, you bow deeper to teacher / boss. You don't try to make them equal.

[@Grimebucket]

Is the "dogeza" bow always considered humiliating? I was quite surprised by this. In South Korea, that style of bowing (on your knees with head down) is considered extremely courteous, not humiliating. I've seen children perform it for their grandparents on New Year's day, people perform it before pictures or burial mounds of deceased friends/family, and couples perform it towards their parents and in-laws at their wedding. Other than that the bowing practices of Japan and South Korea seem pretty similar. Though I am not a native Korean so I could be missing some subtleties.

[@namithav3467]

The bow can be humiliating if forced upon someone. Since its not tht common in daily lives its usually done in public apologies like in the videos tht are shown. I think the Korean deep bow and Dogeza are different. I hav seen in kdramas where ppl bow deeply like this infrnt of others at some situations and also i hav seen dogeza done in japanese dramas and the person to whom they r bowing are shown surprised and they quickly help the person get up. Since its the highly respected form of gesture its unnecessary usage tht too without the consent of the one doing it can definitely be humiliating.

[@PlataniumRacer]

Quality content, thanks Yuta!

[@user-cu6qq9bp2t]

Qbey is just iconic in this interesting video.

[@azukiaisu]

really helpful :) ありがとうございます

[@drealsidewinder9159]

Thank you for all your videos

[@LouTheLoo]

このビデオはどうもありがとう！本当に習ったしまいました。

[@jamesfrankiewicz5768]

I suppose you had to cut the video off at some point, but most schools of budō/bujutsu ("martial arts") have zarei ("seated etiquette/bowing"). The exact form might vary by lineage, but a fairly common form is something like: from seiza ("sitting on the knees") with knees wide, bow by placing the palms of both hands on the floor in front of oneself (with the hands nearly touching), but keep the eyes forward. Bowing to a training partner might be around 45º, bowing to sensei might be around 60º, and bowing to the shrine of the dearly departed founder of your art might be -nearly- all the way down, but the face and head should still be several centimeters above the floor, unlike dogeza.

[@mrkongsimr]

Very interesting , but I must say you’re English is excellent and worth bowing for . As I’m not Japanese I’ll take my hat off for you . Thanks

[@ImyaSmol]

Best plug I've seen in a while. c;

[@fetijajasari6624]

Bowing was more common in Europe in the 1950ies to 1970ies in everyday culture,it vanished somehow ....

[@ShalineeinFrance]

Very interesting!! Thank you for this video!

[@daytronsan5980]

Hello yuta, I hope soon you have 1 million subscribers, you deserve it...

[@andrewlamb3585]

When bowing at a shrine, isn't it a 90° bow that is the most appropriate? I saw that in a Life Where I'm From video.

[@ashvazdanghe]

This type of bowing was for real God /Allah but after a long time passing Japanese forgot its real meaning so they started to bowing to sacred objects & things instead of real God/Allah.

[@Double-Negative]

This bowing at a shrine is based on buddhism. Buddhism itself has many dieties, not one and was based off hinduism, a much older religion than Islam

[@HalendleofLoc]

I don't know if I picked it up from watching kids' anime as a kid but I've always found that I naturally do the slight bow when I'm shy about thanking people.

[@veneciaalvarezgarcia7155]

This is very helpful, thank you

[@progresaxti8602]

Very educational. Thank you.

[@GIJake-oo9ir]

Great video

[@ThomasLogan]

Such a good video thank you!

[@DiamondPiggy1221]

I’m not from a place that bows, but for some reason, I picked it up as a kid. For example: someone would hold the door, I would do a little bow. Not much more than a nod. Probably won’t use more than the first two, but I’m glad to know them.

[@apeckx5090]

When I visited Japan last year I definitely bowed too deeply a few times when meeting new friends and saying goodbye. It's a little embarrassing but not the end of the world

[@TheShadowhog759]

I’m sure they understood especially if you’re new to it or if you’re not exactly used to it yet 😂. It would probably be more embarrassing if you were fully Japanese and living there as I assume they might give less leniency towards someone who knows better.

[@nylenik4340]

You were just extra polite like he said

[@jamespike5161]

I think, when one is new to a culture, it’s better to err on the side of being too polite than not.

[@tititgx8942]

Very usefull video, thank you !

[@KumokoChan]

I'm not Japanese, but when watching videos with people bowing, I instinctively bow myself ;-;

[@ShihanTomCallahan]

Thank you

[@barbmccafferty4533]

Your English is excellent. Great vid.

[@TheBombayMasterTony]

Good explanation.

[@DarkrarLetsPlay]

What were the contexts of those people apologizing in public? I have to know it!

[@azugirl111]

I knew the third guy who bowed, I wanna know what he did 😳 Edit: okay so the third guy is comedian yoshimi tokui and I know him as being one of the commentators on terrace house... Apparently he had $1M in unreported income so he was apologizing that

[@TheShadowhog759]

Supposedly from what I read in a comment above, the guy who went all the way to the floor was caught with marijuana and was not only apologizing as hard as he could, he was trying his best to save his career because the Japanese take drug charges very seriously.

[@DarkrarLetsPlay]

@@TheShadowhog759 Thank you very much for the answer!

[@TheShadowhog759]

DarkrarLetsPlay you’re welcome!!

[@user-saraswatidevi]

@@azugirl111 can you link some of the vids

[@chulzzz99]

i misread this as bowling

[@Zerbey]

I once did a 30 degree bow to my Japanese friend because she asked her family to send my daughter some Japanese anime cards, she was more amused than anything but appreciated the gesture and said it was "appropriate".

[@kdk200]

I got really drunk and left my favorite restaurant in Tokyo and when they saw me off the staff bowed so I did too but then they did again but lower and I did too. We had a japanese bow off

[@pat0102]

Wow I just signed up for your lessons and saw that you are from Shinagawa. I was in Tokyo a couple weeks ago and was staying at Shinagawa as well.

[@colin6722]

Yuta love your channel. Could you do a video on the Hachijo dialect of Japanese? I am very curious about how it differs from standard Japanese

[@CaterinaVigano]

OMG what did the "dogeza" guy? I cannot even imagine. some reference?

[@ZephirumUpload]

I don't know exactly, but those types of public apologies, although not straight to kowtowing, are pretty common for a CEO to do when a company, especially a formerly reputable one, goes bankrupt. As an apology to all the out of work staff up until an apology toJapan itself for risking the country losing face for such a failure. Led to a couple of tragic outcomes too at times.

[@baconstrip7762]

He got caught with weed. No I'm not joking.

[@baconstrip7762]

@MichaelKingsfordGray What? What does that even mean? And for the record I'm an adult myself.

[@baconstrip7762]

@MichaelKingsfordGray It's the nickname my uncle gave me when I was a kid before he passed away of leukemia. He was pretty important to me, so I kept it as my online name for when I'd like to remain anonymous. Not everyone wants their full legal name on full view for random creeps like you to see, you know? Get a fucking life and worry about more important things.

[@eid8fkebe7f27ejdjdjduyhsvqhwu2]

@MichaelKingsfordGray What a retarded way to behave on the internet. Grandpa, go and read a golfing manual.

[@user-rc7mj4py8b]

Thanks for the video!! Muito obrigado!!

[@aalidas8951]

im canadian, and i find that i also bow in various situations. bowing seems to be a universal sign of respect.

[@nathanlaird]

Thanks for this! I would love a longer video on bowing. For example, at my church, we bow dogeza every day of the week except Sundays, 3 times to each icon, and many times during the service, otherwise standing. It is very common in the Christian Orthodox world, many countries. I suspect there is a great deal to know and teach about bowing in Japan in the religious sense, temples, even martial arts, teacher, sensei relationships, and more.

[@duchi882]

This reminds me of the *"Dogeza"* and *"Dogene"* bows from Baki

[@darknessbroadcast4139]

loool

[@ThreadBomb]

Yes, Yuta didn't mention dogene.

[@brianchar-bow3273]

It is said that the Japanese bow began as an expression of trust in the other person. When Japan was a samurai society, turning one's head down to the other person in front of you was a dangerous act that could result in your own head being cut off by the other person's sword at any moment. In other words, the act of bowing, which exposes one's head to the other person in an unprotected position, seems to have derived from the meaning of "I trust you and feel assured that you will never cut off my head," and arose from the ritual of showing each other that you trust you and are on friendly terms with you. The bowing to each superior, such as a boss or a customer, was derived from this ritual. It means, "I trust you, and I am not hostile.”　As time passed and it spread, it was expanded to "expressing gratitude to others" and came into common use. The child's bow to the driver means ”"thank you" for taking your time for me to pull over so that I can cross the road.”

[@spooky_electric]

Was there really Mexican Ranchera music playing during that Japanese TV show with the bowing? That's kind of hilarious and I love it.

[@kerendn]

This was really interesting. It was cool to see the video examples. I wonder what people do if they have a backache, though.

[@hellwroughtangel]

When Hokutofuji beat Kakuryu last month and gave a deep bow at the end it was very noticeable because most of the time at the end of the match it's just the head nod bows from sumo rikishi.

[@crisanister5131]

It's not just about how deep a bow is but also about how much attention one puts into it. A slight bow you keep for a few seconds is more intense than a quick formal bow. Also, the "intensity" can be used to express different things, like subservience (I respect your status) vs personal respect.

[@SayuriSaying]

日本人です。自分たちが無意識にどうおじぎしてるか勉強になりました！ありがとうございますm(_ _)m

[@theanalectsofcatherine9813]

I love how Yuta makes Kyuubey bow lol

[@tommyciputra4779]

I’ve had people, especially friends, doing the 90 degree bow to me because they mistake it as a friendly bow to say goodbye. I always don’t know no how to react because I find it extremely formal and awkward to do it among friends lol

[@ThomasNing]

so, the deeper you bow, the deeper the apology/sincerity of the gesture. Thanks. I guess the only part an uninformed person couldn't figure out might be that retail employees treat customers as god hence 45 degree for seemingly casual interaction.

[@kevinsmith9013]

Very interesting. I had assumed only 2 types of bowing, but 5?! Good to know.

[@diribigal]

When I did homestays in Japan as a teenager I think I and the English teacher helping coordinate things did dogeza to thank the host families. That may have been a regional thing, but seemed like it was the appropriate action.

[@DrunkDudley]

exelent video.

[@bofbob1]

It's not part of everyday life for most people, but one place where you do bow with your palms joined is in a zendo. For instance, before a session of zazen, you bow with gassho (palms together) to your seat and then towards the other practitioners (a practice called monjin). If Buddhism is involved, there's a good chance you're supposed to put your palms together. It's also one of the differences in etiquette between paying your respects at a Buddhist temple and at a Shinto shrine. At a Shinto shrine you clap then bow normally, at a Buddhist temple you don't clap but you bow with gassho.

[@Archedgar]

KYUBEI IS STARING AT MY SOUL.

[@wonder_prawn9182]

Most of this makes sense. And I do most of these bows, less structured, but naturally everyday in the US. I'm curious about the history behind the degrees of bowing and where they became most popular or used. Or even over used to the point it identifies a profession.

[@tosche774]

Cool! I reall like the habit of bowing. On the one hand it looks extremely stylish. On the other hand it is a cleaner way of greeting people compared to handshakes, hugging or kissing cheeks as it is not possible to transfer germs due to missing body contact.

[@sleepy314]

I'm in the US. We open and close our Aikido training with Dogeza. We put our hands on the center line, though. Also 30 degrees when entering the dojo, stepping on or off the mat.... I guess our Sensei is very traditional.

[@FindecanorNotGmail]

I think that's the same in every dojo for Japanese budo, and come from Shinto and Buddhist traditions. When I trained Bujinkan Taijutsu, we bowed towards an altar with five candles representing the five elements. When doing Zen meditation, we bowed towards the Buddha statue when entering the room.

[@mgnet2000]

Hi Yuta, really nice and informative video. I know this video is about "The Subtle Art of Japanese Bowing" and when to use properly bowing, but I have a question for you. My question question is regarding "The Extreme Bowing". As a MMA fan, I have seen the "The Extreme Bowing" performed after a colossal MMA fight. I have seen a non Japanese fighters doing the "The Extreme Bowing" to a Japanese fighter and the Japanese fighter responding with the same Extreme Bowing. How this is view in Japan.

[@scornogia1582]

K.. cool info

[@1337hacks]

In Kendo you do the 15 degree bow to your opponents in a tournament, your peers, or your juniors, but to your seniors or to your instructors, you do the 30 degree bow to show your respect. It's pretty intuitive.

[@igly3542]

Am I expected to match the degree of bow that I receive?

[@bruh-cs4zu]

I've also noticed in concerts after the show is done, the performers do the 90 degrees bow

[@phir9255]

The casual slight (very slight) bow can actually be related to if you see it as nodding. It's not really common but since nodding means agreement it can be interpreted to be a sympathetic sign. Agreement inherently includes sympathy.

[@TovChapaev]

I don't know if it is properly dogeza, but a very similar looking bow is performed in martial arts in the dojo at the beginning and at the end of class.

[@NelsonClick]

Many years ago I saw a deep bow that was held for several seconds. It was real and not a show although I saw it on TV. It was a mixed race girl (Japanese/American) that deep bowed to her future mother in law when meeting her for the first time. She knew the mother did not approve of her son marrying a mixed race girl. She deep blowed and held it while looking up to the Mother and smiling. She was nervous and desperately wanted the Mother to know she respected her. The Mother was nice back but still voiced her disapproval. The girl although mixed race looked Japanese but lighter skinned and rounder eyes. She was culturally Japanese. The only other times I saw deep bows was in movies.

[@MrMricecreamman1]

Thank you Yuta for explaining this and having an comparison with the "textbook" answers. Isn't better to be over polite than not though? What about where the hands are? Does women and men bow differently on where the hands are? Along with the length of duration?

[@kerendn]

I don't know much about Japan, but being overly polite in any situation can be seen as - wow, you're so polite and well mannered, or - that was weird and uncomfortable So imagine speaking in formal language to a friend or calling them sir or Mr so and so. It's just odd. Depends very much on the culture and the situation, and the level of excess politeness.

[@skitterree2490]

Which bow is most appropriate for a foreigner meeting their AirB&B host?

[@XSpImmaLion]

I'm not japanese (sansei to yonsei here) so this is just a kind of uninformed opinion, but from what I've seen and used, it's not only about the degree, but mainly the time. Informal bow is kinda fast, kinda like a "body nod". The more formal or apologetical it gets, the longer it takes to make the full gesture, the longer the pause, and thus the deeper you bow. Dogeza irl is kinda rare and kinda exaggerated, but on serious public apologies you will often spot 90 degree bows... for me personally the important component seems to be that they stay with their heads down for a long time. The longer the gesture takes, the higher degree of formality, or intention. Another perhaps psychological component of this is that it stems from a display of submission. This is why the deeper the display of gratitude or apology, the more submissive the pose is. For casual bows it's just a nod that you don't need to take your eyes off the subject. Business and on, you progressively avoid eye contact looking down, because it's a submissive stance. "Do what you will", like.

[@fluffymacaw933]

/ Look I’m doing it!