Bowing (ojigi) your head in Japan is an important part of the social culture that is used to communicate different levels of respect. It is one of the keys to fit in and to make good relationship with others in Japan. In many countries, it’s normal to shake hands, hug, or even kiss as a greeting. In Japan, physical contact is not common among strangers and acquaintances. Instead, ojigi or bowing can show what kind of greeting or message you’re trying to express.

As well as for greetings and saying hello, there are a lot other reasons why Japanese people ‘bow’.
- Showing Respect
- Expressing Deep Gratitude
- Saying Goodbye
- Offering an Appology
- Telling Someone Congratulations
- Expressing Sympathy
- Asking a Favor
- Showing Appreciation
- Beginning a Formal Ceremony or a Training Session
- When Entering and Leaving a Martial Arts Dojo

The tradition of ojigi comes from the samurai period. It’s said that the Buddhist traditions of bowing seeped into the warrior culture and its social etiquette. During the peaceful time of the Edo period, the culture of bowing spread to the commoners.

Here are the most common ways of bowing that can be used in casual and polite business occasions. But first of all, for all of these types of bowing women will generally have their hands on top of each other near their abdomen and men will have their arms straight down. Your back should be straight. If you have to say something like ‘ I am deeply sorry’, then say it first while standing straight, then bow. Look where the head takes you, not the person in front of you. Keep the neck straight, so your head is on the same line with the top half of the body when you see yourself from the side.
- Mokurei
when you're interacting with people you know very well, such as a friends or relatives, a full-blown bow isn't usually required. Instead, you can incline your head just slightly (a couple of inches). In very casual situations, you can even get away with simply casting out a sort of "respectful beam" from your eyes, bowing only in your mind. Kind of just look like having an eye contact.
- Esyaku
This is a casual style bow that usually means hello or goodbye, and it can be used when you bump into friends or co-workers. You should tilt your upper body about 15 degrees. This is a relatively quick bow, like 1 to 2 seconds. Note also that this should be towards those of equal or lower social status to you.
- Keirei
This is a more formal style that you can use with those of higher social status such as your superiors, boss, and those who are older than you. It is most commonly used in business situations when you have to show gratitude or as a way to respectfully greet someone. In this bow you should tilt your upper body and head about 30 degrees, and stay for slightly longer than in an Eshaku.
- Saikeirei
Saikeirei is the most respectful and formal. It’s not used as often as the other two, so it should be saved for more significant occasions. This is used when you have to apologize for a big mistake or when you’re asking for a favor from a superior. It can also be used for greeting people of very high status. The angle of this bow is about 45 – 70 degrees. When I used to work for a couple of the fortune 500 companines in NYC (headquarter of Japanese companies) as an execitive assistant to CEO, I have seen my boss doing 90 degree ojigi more than handful times (usually that is when I realized ‘this is serious’). The longer you stay in the position, the deeper the meaning of what you’re trying to express.
- Zarei
This is a type of ojigi which is done sitting down. This originates from the time period in Japan, when it was typical to conduct business on tatami mats. It was common that everyone was sitting on the floor. Nowadays, you will see people do this style of bowing in tea ceremonies, martial arts, and other traditional Japanese activities. Basically it is just a sitting version. Of course there are rules where the hands should go, what the shape of the arms should look like, etc but I am not going to get into the endless details.
- Dogeza
I don’t think you would ever do dogeza unless you seriously messed up over there, like a life or death matter, but it’s good to know as you may see this happen in anime, historical T.V. and movies. This style of ojigi has been around throughout Japanese history. It involves the person being on the floor on their knees with their head touching the floor. Usually it means that you are begging for something, apologizing with great shame for what you have done.

Since ojigi in Japan might be new for people, the best way to learn is by observing how natives bow in different situations. I hope this guide could be useful in diving deeper into Japanese culture and etiquette.