File:BOWING. (1910) - illustration - page 168.png

English: Illustration from page 168 of BOWING..

Image reference: "59"

Caption: "BOWING. Quote: "Politeness is early taught in Japanese homes. It is no show-quality to be exhibited only in company, but is daily practised at home and in school as an indispensable aid to savoir-vivre. Thus, at home every one bows to his superior in bidding good-morning or good-night. The servants bow to the children, the servants and children to the master and mistress, and all to the father or mother of the master or mistress, who may be living with them. When the last, or the master or mistress goes out, they are seen to the porch and sped with a bow, and when they come home, they are met again at the porch with a bow. We bow squatting with our heads on the mat. This has appeared to many Europeans to be a more obsequious way of greeting than a hand-shake, probably because they associate such a bow with grovelling in the dust, which would certainly be a humiliating posture to a European. But the two are quite distinct. With us, from our way of squatting on the floor, no other form of greeting is possible. In fact, until we cease to squat, that is, until we reform altogether our mode of life, hand-shaking is out of the question. In Europe courtesy impels a man to rise to greet a newcomer, but in Japan he greets him squatting; in Europe a man who comes into the presence of his superior remains standing until he is bidden to take a seat, but in Japan he squats at the door of the room until he is invited to come in, whereupon he shuffles in and makes his salutation. He remains squatting and does not approach close enough to his host to take his hand; for to shake it he must squat with his knees almost touching the other’s, and then, before they could talk at ease, he would have to shuffle backward, which would look very ungainly. Thus, as we squat too far apart to shake hands, we can only bow; and politeness prompts us to bow with our heads on the mats.""