I see you've spent time in Japan, to bow or not? Options

[Snow_Fox]

Many Asian cultures bow. It is a part of the daily interaction but they acept it is particular to them. When President Obama tried, and failed, to bow to the emperor of Japan it caused outrage in the US but the Japanese media seemed to pass on it saying basically "Well it was nice of him to try" BUT when the CEO of Toyota held a conference to apologise for his car quality his perfunctory bow of only the head was eviserated. One journal saying it was the sort of bow given by two neighbors who find they're taking out the garbage at the same time.

Personally I have a dear friend who is the daughter of Japanese parents and I am amused when we shop at an Asian market to see her bow to the staff, not big but when the fish guy hands her, her selection, he gets a little bob. Same at the check out lane. You'd never see that from her at a 'white' market.

But it stresses how even outside of Japan the bow is still 'taught.' So in the Japanese corps outside of Japan would there be bows? Would they expect North American or European employes to adopt the same cutlure? I was imagining the Seattle Aracology, before it went to hell, kind of like that. Japanese officials and osme shops and many Oxidental employees. Would the bnow be seen as required from Oriental ewmployees? Required of Oxidentals? You work in our culture now. would it be expected an oxidental couldn't get it right but it would be nice to try (like president Obama) or would it be seen a sucking up?

Would an Oriental employee bowing to an Oxidental boss- "I have just transfered from the Osaka office to St Louis" freak the boss out?

Would bowing spread through much of corp culture? "Oh I like that style, I expect you to do it too" at the risk of seeming to push a Teutonic stereotype this could be big at SK.

Lastly if it doesn't spread would it be a tell for a recenlty extracted employee? "Nasty twitch you got there Miller." "Sorry, spent 12 years at Shiawase main HQ"