Japanese Mortified By Obama's Bow

OMG, WTF, & all those 3 letter phrases. I just got off work and walked in the door and saw this. I looked at pg 1 and then went stright to last pg to see whats up. 90% of you dont even know how serious this is. We're Fked. I think B Morrison has said it well. The power has changed. We're dead in the water. We might as well bomb Pearl Harbor again. Haven't any of you ever watched any Japanese movies, like Kurosawa. You will learn every kind of japanese bow ever done. From the slight head nod to the Obama " take my country" to the most despicable groveling that only Kerosawa knows how to film.
This was not a mistake on Obama's part. I've lived in the Pacific Basin all my life and I know a kowtow when I see one. You better start learning a second language.

reply to post by out west



Well said OW. What a total moron and an insult to the brave souls who gave their all to put down an aggressive and evil Japan during WWII.

It was a "TAKE MY COUNTRY" bow. No red blooded American would disagree.

reply to post by SLAYER69


I have to agree, Obama has made a lot of symbolic, cultural mistakes, bad gifts, constantly bowing to the wrong person, I blame him of course for not researching, but I also blame his advisors, whoever Obama's personal advisors are, are complete idiots, or perhaps they want Obama to look like a complete idiot.

[edit on 17-11-2009 by Razimus]

Obama is struggling so desperately to gain the world's respect, I'm really surprised that by this point he hasn't tracked down George Bush and thrown his shoes at him.

What does it say about President Obama, that he won’t go to the anniversary of the Berlin wall falling down, he event that some link to the start of the collapse of communism in Europe, but he will bow to communist in Asia. Does the American president really have that much respect for communism???

Originally posted by out west
This was not a mistake on Obama's part. I've lived in the Pacific Basin all my life and I know a kowtow when I see one. You better start learning a second language.

I do find it incredibly inexplicable that a guy who lived in Hawaii does not know how to properly bow to the Japanese (who by the way are all over the freakin' place in Hawaii).

This is extremely disturbing the more you think about just what the heck this "bow" means. To me it means America is screwed financially (on life support and about to die) and that we need Japan's help to keep afloat. Hope I'm wrong.

Originally posted by thinline
What does it say about President Obama, that he won’t go to the anniversary of the Berlin wall falling down, he event that some link to the start of the collapse of communism in Europe, but he will bow to communist in Asia. Does the American president really have that much respect for communism???

Yes he does hmmmm....let me see
1government owned car companies
2government owned healthcare
3Im suprised he didnt go down to one knee and kiss his ring!!!!
4you other ats'ers can continue with 5+

I mentioned earlier that my sensei would of just pushed him over his bow was so bad, well I went to class and I quote "Now don't bow like obama, or I'll just push you over" Lol

I #ing give up. Obama bows and people act like its the tart of WWIII.

Here we go, my first T&C Violation

Get a life if you are offended by this you idiots. Get a damn life. I am tired of this unbelievable system of hatred that has permeated into the hearts of many. Get a life, do you hear me, get a life. If you are worried that the President of the US is being overly respectful, get a life. They already have your hatred and your mind if you are riled up by this nonsense. You may not want to admit it, but if you are offended by this then you are already losing the game.

Originally posted by TheOneElectric
Here we go, my first T&C Violation

Get a life if you are offended by this you idiots. Get a damn life. I am tired of this unbelievable system of hatred that has permeated into the hearts of many. Get a life, do you hear me, get a life. If you are worried that the President of the US is being overly respectful, get a life. They already have your hatred and your mind if you are riled up by this nonsense. You may not want to admit it, but if you are offended by this then you are already losing the game.

Are you so incredibly deluded or are you being willfully ignorant? This bow was NOT, I repeat NOT a bow of respect! You get a friggin life! While you're at it, get a book on Japanese culture. Obama bowed in the same manner a SERVANT, an INFERIOR would bow! Obama has just, by sheer ignorance (like yours) declared "I, and my country are inferior and servants to you" If he had bothered doing his research (as most leaders do) he would've known what was the proper way to bow to show respect and dignity not only to Japan, but the U.S. as well. Why is this so hard for you to understand? Did you just purposely ignore all the posts others have contributed here?

Heck, even someone here who says he's a high school kid taking martial arts knows the difference. I myself know the difference, but then again, that's because I always had an interest in asian cultures. But my point stands. Again, here are several people in ATS, average joes, who know the difference, and you're going to let Obama, the frikkin president of the united states have a free pass? Justifiy it with "it was an honest mistake" when average people here know better? are you honestly that brain dead???? No sir, YOU get a life, and while you're at it, get an education, maybe you'll understand what was wrong with the Obama's symbolic display.

Originally posted by buddhasystem
I'm really wondering where the schmucks were when President Obama was wearing a yarmulke when visiting holy Jewish places. I think that was indeed a sign a weakness. Or was it? Why does the American President have to cover his head at all? Do you say "cultural sensitivity"? Why does it only work for Jews and not for the Japanese?


Do you have a source or a picture? And if you think it's a sign of weakness explain your thoughts. Smart people make complete and organized statements and can back them up with evidence.

[edit on 17-11-2009 by buddhasystem]

You will notice that the Emperor was not standing ramrod straight. He was bowing to the President. One head of state to another. But the President was bowing too low. He should have taken the Emperor's cue. He looked silly. But he's not the first President who has done silly things. Was it Ford or Carter who went to Poland and made a speech in polish where he said that he had "fled" the United States? He had someone on his staff who learned polish from his grandparents and had translated the speech into polish. Just not well enough.

Even the friggen Japanese were friggen embarrassed or did you not read the first post.

When the culture that initiated the bow is embarrassed it is a big deal. He's a friggen moran and so are all the ones who say no big deal.

thank you all for steppin' up and agreeing with this unbelievable scene!!
just another line.

Originally posted by TheOneElectric
Here we go, my first T&C Violation

Get a life if you are offended by this you idiots. Get a damn life. I am tired of this unbelievable system of hatred that has permeated into the hearts of many. Get a life, do you hear me, get a life. If you are worried that the President of the US is being overly respectful, get a life. They already have your hatred and your mind if you are riled up by this nonsense. You may not want to admit it, but if you are offended by this then you are already losing the game.

Offended? I would bet the majority are simply amused. Obama is a tool, his subconscious just comes out as it is.

Well I thought that as a foreigner and newcomer to Japanese culture, he would be exempt from strict bowing etiquett, meaning it is not required of him, nor is it rude not do bow.

I am pretty sure I had heard it was even consider rude to bow because as a foreigner you could not do so with as much grace as another japanese?

Also in relations to foreign ettequte the Parade of Flags in the olympics, the us flag is never dipped to any heads of state, it is the only flag to do so, and in 1908 King Edward VII himself was the Head of State where this was introduced and to whom all flags were dipped in salute as the athletes marched in. That is, all flags except the flag of the USA. To the fury of King Edward, the USA shot-putter Ralph Rose refused to pay him respect by dipping the Stars & Stripes.

One reason given for this is that the flag of the United States is lowered for no mortal man. And after all, a king is merely a mortal! And that to this day, the Stars & Stripes is the only flag that is not dipped when the Head of State is saluted during the Parade of Flags.

So if our flag does not bow for any man, nor should our president.

[edit on 18-11-2009 by benrl]

Originally posted by benrl

I am pretty sure I had heard it was even consider rude to bow because as a foreigner you could not do so with as much grace as another japanese?

[edit on 18-11-2009 by benrl]

I have heard that as well, I have a relative who went to Japan a lot for business. When I told him I was taking an interest in Japanese culture, he warned me about a lot of stuff that I shouldn't do even if I was trying to be respectful. Heck, he even warned that even here in the U.S. I should be very careful when trying to approach other Japanese because, even though I might be trying to be respectful in bowing and trying to speak in their language, they might see it as an insult. I forgot what the reason was, I think it had a lot to do with the same idea... that because I don't know how to speak it with the same dialect, mannerism etc. that I would end up just looking like a fool and embarrassing them, and myself.

That's why now I MIGHT bow, but bow at the proper level, and only if they show signs that it is ok with them. But I'll never try to talk to them in their language.

[edit on 18-11-2009 by Hitemhard]

I can't believe this crap is still going on.

For all the newfound experts on Japanese culture that are decrying the offence that this bow caused, could you point me to a Japanese news story that was talking about this before the US media started in on it? Because I seem to have missed it.

I saw nothing in the papers, but then I only tend to read the office copy of the local rag and the Yomiuri.

I didn't see anything on NHK or STV about it, even during their gossipy coverage of the visit. Did I miss something? Was it on HTB that the talento were laughing at Obama? Where was it? Exactly? Who said what and when?

No one I know even mentioned it until the report (that I liked a couple of pages back) talking about the US coverage. Now people are just baffled. For most people, this is the first they've heard of the story.

No one was offended, let alone mortified, no one was measuring the degree of the bow or analyzing the proper protocol. All that crap is on the USA's end.

Obama's bow was about as offensive as an overly energetic handshake. A very mild social faux pas not even worth mentioning. No one cared. At all.