Odzigi

Odzigi ( お 辞 儀 o-jigi ) ^[1] - a traditional bow in Japan, which is a universal gesture of Japanese etiquette , best known outside of Japan. Bowing is considered so important in Japan that although children usually begin to learn it from a very young age, companies usually provide their employees with additional training in the art of bowing.

Japanese women politely bow to each other, 1900

Bows accompany greetings, greetings, requests, varying depending on the situation.

A bow can be made on the basis of three positions: standing, sitting in Japanese and sitting in European. Also, most bows have female and male forms. When meeting, the lowest in age and position bow first and more polite bow.

Depending on the situation, bow depth and duration may be different. This is influenced by the degree of respect and social status of the person you bow to. In Japan, at least six types of bow are known.

Bows are performed by bending the body at the waist with a straight back and hands located on the sides (for men) or hands folded on the knees (women).

Bows are made by looking at the face of the interlocutor, but not directly into the eyes.

Bows can be divided into three main types: informal, official, and very formal. Unofficial bows are made with a tilt angle of the body of about fifteen degrees or just a short bow of the head (five degrees), more formal bows with a tilt angle of the body of about thirty degrees. Very formal nods deeper - from forty-five to ninety degrees. The duration and depth of the bow is directly proportional to the respect expressed by the bow.

Etiquette rules that take into account the length and depth of the bow, as well as the corresponding response, is an extremely complex system. For example, if a person maintains a return bow longer than expected (usually about two or three seconds), politely bowing again, you can get another bow in response. This often leads to a long exchange of a gradually dying down series of bows. The obeisances of the lower ones are longer, deeper and more frequent than the higher ones. The highest in status, referring to the lower, usually only nods his head slightly, and some bosses may not bow at all, and the lower ones will lean slightly forward from the waist.

Apologize bows tend to be deeper and longer than other types of bows. They are usually made with repetitions and a tilt of the body of about 45 degrees with the head bowed and lasting at least three. The depth, frequency and duration of the bow increases in accordance with the sincerity of the apology and the gravity of the deed. Sometimes, in the case of an apology and begging, people crouch down as if in a sujud , to show someone alone absolute humility or extreme regret. This position is called Dogeza ( Jap. 土 下座 ) - "bow to the ground." Although Dogeza is considered a very respectful sign, it is seen as disrespectful to itself and is currently not used in everyday life. Bows of gratitude follow the same pattern. In extreme cases, the bow is performed on the knees; this bow is sometimes so deep that the forehead touches the floor. This bow is called saikeiray ( 最 敬礼 ) - "the most respectful bow."

When dealing with foreigners, many Japanese will shake hands. Since many are not familiar with the Japanese custom of bowing, this often leads to combined greetings (bow and handshake ), which can be quite difficult to perform. Bows can be combined with handshakes or must be performed before or after a handshake.

In Japanese martial arts, nods form an important part of the procedures in the interaction between teacher and student and sparring partners.