Significance of bowing head

[shikamarufoo]

Hello everyone,
I was wondering if you guys know the significance of bowing your head in places such in Asia. I know Japanese people bow their head for respect, but like in other places is it does it also grasp the same meaning? What other places bow their besides Japan?
Thanks for your time:).

[ashitaka]

Basicly everywhere it is a sign of respect, each time you meet some one bow deper than just your head, if you meet a friend or someong else you already know just bow your head.
Well i could start listilng them or simply:
south asia
south east asia,
east asia (a lot)

[Shibakoen]

It's a very important sign of respect. In general, Westerners aren't exactly expected to bow... well, maybe just a bow of the head. As for Japanese, those who are of lower rank bow lower. For example, if you met with your boss, he'd bow, but you should bow lower. There was a great example in the paper a few months ago. After the Tokyo Stock Exchange was forced to close early because their computers crashed, two of the heads of the Exchange met with one of the government ministers to apologize for the foul up. The picture in the paper shows the minister bowing slightly, the head of the Stock Exchange bowing a little bit more, and the guy below him bowing very low.

[Infidel]

I wish people here bowed. I hate all the rude people who thrust thier hands in my face, so I'm forced to shake it or seem rude myself. Then I have to excuse myself to go wash my hands.

These "friendly" people are almost always extremly smelly, as in I can smell them before they open the door to come into the room.

[hyperconjugated]

People are the worst.

[Takeo Saeki]

Amen.

[ashitaka]

whenever you meet someone new bow very low even if they are in a lower job position, if you get a job in japan try to get promoted soon you will get a better income and you wont have to bow as low (it will save your back when you get older.)

oo i hate shaking hands with sweating people its so gross and wet and....eeeeewwwww, smelly doesnt bother me because i cant smell, shaking hads i think is primative (with all the transfering of germs and bacteria) now whenever i go to a meeting i cary hand sanatizing towels in my pokets.

i hate it when the put their hand near your face, if the are going to shake hands they should just put it about gut level.

[Zeo]

Haha, i can almost see it. As I come into the schoolyard and says hi to my friends they just bow. That would be cool. I wouldn't mind bowing instead of the handshaking.. gosh, thats really disgusting when you think about it. You don't even know if they've washed they hands after being on the toilet.
Though, I don't really shake hands with my friends everytime I meet them. Just a little "hi". Might handshake if there is a new person i've never met before though.
Hehe.

[Takeo Saeki]

I hate handshakes because, like Zeo said, you don't know when was the last time they washed their hands and what they have done since. My little brother still picks his nose, for instance. I have a feeling he doesn't wash his hands after going to the bathroom too, because I can never smell the handsoap when he's in the room. With everyone else, I can. Thankfully I don't have to shake hands with him, but it's disgusting to think of how many other people are like that whom you might have to shake hands with. *shudder*

[coco]

Thankfully I don't have to shake hands with him, but it's disgusting to think of how many other people are like that whom you might have to shake hands with.

:D:D:D
A funny TVCF was broadcast in Japan. The scene was the first meet of two businessmen. Occidental, maybe an American (since the sponsor was one of the American IT company,if I remember rightly), held out the hand for handshaking while a Japanese bowed. After a second, an American had been bowing while a Japanese had held out his hand stiffly to him.

[Zeo]

Haha!
Now thats the situation when things start to get confusing.

[shikamarufoo]

Wow thanks for all the response guys/girls. I though people were gonna flame me on this thread saying isn't that obvious, blah blah...
Anyways, now that you mention it, I think Bowing>>>Handshakes! I never really though about the germs my friends may hold, only people that I really don't like asking for a handshake. Also I never knew those with lower ranks/jobs/position/etc. should bow lower to those higher than them and those with higher ranks must not bow as low.
Most people at my high school usually do handshakes, including me, but I'm going to sugget bowing head tommorow:).
Do you know of any other places besides Asia where they bow, such as in Africa or Europe?

[CDarklock]

shikamarufoo wrote:
I never really though about the germs my friends may hold, only people that I really don't like asking for a handshake.

There seems to be a lot of concern about whether people wash their hands after using the toilet.

Personally, I was taught not to go on my hands.

Since that seems perfectly adequate to keep my hands clean, I kind of have to wonder what these other people are doing. O_o

[mandolin]

You don't wipe? And don't think you get germs from having your hands so close to urine and fecal matter?

That's why you wash.

[amego]

LOL bowing >>> washing hands after the toilet....anyway not to pick on you mandolin, but urine is sterile, but feces is not hehe haha i'm digressing too.

So, from our dear wiki, here is a short extract:

There is an extremely complex etiquette surrounding bowing, including the length and depth of bow, and the appropriate response. For example, if the other person maintains his or her bow for longer than expected (generally about two or three seconds), it is polite to bow again, upon which one may receive another bow in return. This often leads to a long exchange of progressively lighter bows.