Yes. In this article, the author introduces the reader to one of the most fascinating and conspicuous cultural habits of the Japanese people. He tells the reader that as soon as you land in Japan, you perceive immediately that the Japanese are exquisitely wellmannered. Very soon, you will also discover that the Japanese are very courteous and ensure that they do not violate a speaker’s privacy while talking to someone over the phone. Then you come to be a witness to people bowing to each other almost everywhere as if it is an obsession with them.

However, the author records his appreciation for their skill and style of bowing. He says that people bow to each other with the ceremonious solemnity of a courtier and yet with a great deal of natural and inimitable grace. Then he remarks that bowing is neither less nor more silly than shaking hands or kissing the cheek, but it is quainter, more formal, more oriental and also infectious.

He says so because, while anyone can learn the art of shaking hands or kissing the cheek perfectly well, it is extremely difficult for a European to learn to do ‘bowing’ the way Japanese do because, in a split second, the Japanese manage to subtly reflect all the nuances one needs to follow while bowing. They successfully exhibit the smallest difference in rank, standing, age, and social position. On the other hand, if a European attempts to bow to someone, he or she will bow too deeply or not deeply enough; they bow to the wrong man at the wrong time or they do not clasp their hands in front of them which is bad or they do in a wrong way which is considered even worse.