"Obama Bow To Emperor Was Inappropriate" (This A.M.'s Japanese Press: My Translation)

47 News, (Japan) From Original Japanese from Kyodo ^ | 16 November 2009 | 47 News (Japan)

[dsc]

“they probably think the bow was quite low.” The Japanese quoted in article 41 says, 「姿勢過ぎる」, shesei sugiru. Now, shisei refers primarily to posture, and is a part of such phrases as distortion in posture, postural instability, change in position, and shift in posture. It can be used to mean “bow,” but the most common term for “bow” is 「辞儀」, jiki. Their use of shisei is not without significance, IMO. “Sugiru” is used to indicate that something is in excess, as in “he ate too much,” “she is driving too fast,” and “he is too forthright.” Put shisei and sugiru together and there are, obviously, a number of possible connotations. Further down in article 41 it is said that “conservative Fox Television” criticized that it was inappropriate for the president to 「頭を下げる」, atama wo sageru, or "lower his head," to a 「外国の要人, gaikoku no youjin, or “dignitary of a foreign country.” Since plurals are usually ambiguous in Japanese, this could also be read, “dignitaries of foreign countries.” "Atama wo sageru" also has more connotations than “bow.” It can also be used in phrases that indicate apologies, acknowledgment of subordinate status, admissions of inferiority, expressions of defeat, and other concepts. This phrase, therefore, could be read as “It is inappropriate for the president to bend the knee to dignitaries of other countries (because he is higher in rank to all of them),” and I think these are the words that the Japanese press were trying to attribute to “conservative Fox Television.” It is also worth noting that the leftards have been hard at work in Japan since the war, with the result that many Japanese believe that “conservative” is bad and “liberal” is good, even though they have no real understanding of what these words represent.

[Billthedrill]

It also says something that, what with his self-proclaimed knowledge of Asia-Pacific and culture which he arrogantly talked about on this trip...

That, I'm afraid, is likely to be the bottom line. Multiculturalism is, under the hood, a way of avoiding the study of other cultures by declaring them all of equal merit, a veneer of humility over a brass body of arrogance and ignorance. That won't get you very far in Japan or anywhere else in Asia.

Nevertheless, it's beginning to be a pattern with 0bama. The one single most important job of a protocol officer is to see that this sort of thing doesn't happen, and so far with the Saudis, the Brits, and the Japanese he's managed to make himself look like a provincial fool. An ego that colossal might indeed interpret it as making his own rules, but there isn't a great deal admirable in a universe whose population is one.

[GOPJ]

I don't understand why someone in the State Department doesn't come over and give Obama pointers on foreign customs. These gaffs - if that's what they are ( as opposed to intentional acts of rudeness) have to stop.

[twister881]

THIS is why we don't bow to the Japs. Yes, that is an American. Obama needs to read and understand a couple of books -- "The Rape of Nanking" and "Prisoners of the Japanese." Don't think it will stop his weak, foolish behavior, but perhaps give the Marxist idiot some pause.

[dsc]

I’ve previously seen that man identified as Australian soldier Sgt Leonard Siffleet.

[Living Free in NH]

Interestingly enough, he didn't bow when he met the Pope. Too Christian for him?

Just a nod & a smile

[GOPJ]

It can also be used in phrases that indicate apologies, acknowledgment of subordinate status, admissions of inferiority, expressions of defeat, and other concepts. This phrase, therefore, could be read as “It is inappropriate for the president to bend the knee to dignitaries of other countries (because he is higher in rank to all of them),” and I think these are the words that the Japanese press were trying to attribute to “conservative Fox Television.”

Interesting - sounds like some projection going on... Thanks for sharing.

[dsc]

Thanks for your kind words.

I see — argh — that I wrote “higher in rank to” instead of “higher in rank than.”

Sam Clemens told the truth: Everybody needs an editor.

[AnAmericanMother]

What are the chances somebody will run with that (the idea that Obama was using the Emperor for political purposes)?

It might be too far-fetched for anybody in Japan to speculate . . . unless they hear it somewhere else first . . . . ?

[Arizona Carolyn]

He served there in the late 60’s and actually spent a lot of time off base, went skiing there and traveled extensively when he was off duty, he was there for two years...

[Churchillspirit]

Ignorant behavior from an affirmative-action president.

[twister881]

Good correction, thank you. Meant to say Allied as opposed to American.

[netmilsmom]

Mine nearly married a Japanese girl.

It’s the face the don’t show the average traveler.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Good point, the "using the Emperor as a mere prop" angle. I would not put it past Obongo and his crew to have done such a foolish thing.

I would personally, however, kind of have mixed emotions on that.

If that got full play, it would embarrass Obama royally. Good.

But as a result, it would probably start a horrendous US-Japan brushfire that might burn out of control, doing nothing but damage. Bad.

I would not want 60 years of good US-Japan cooperation, with 47,000 of our troops here, be upset and ruined just over some stupid act by an idiot president who is going to be long gone and forgotten by Japan three years from now. I would have to think long and hard about fanning *those* flames! I hope you can appreciate my concern. I want to be anti-Obama and yet preserve general US-Japan relations at the same time.

[AnAmericanMother]

Absolutely.

Bad presidents come and go, good relations with a major ally in the Far East are a long term investment.

It makes me mad as fire though. How stupid must the Japanese think we are, to elect such a fool? Given their interest in courtesy, right conduct, and what the Scots call "douce" - the word's hard to translate but it means quiet, discreet, sober - Obama's making us look VERY bad.

[kitkat]

***O bowma ...***

LOL! Wish I’d thought of that.

[GVnana]

Your tag line says it all.

[struggle]

Well, the worst fact is that people do not do a deep bow and shake hands. It’s a contradictory show of deep humility and western familiarity.

The 20 year old “expert” in his campaign staff that told him to do this needs to be fired.

An American, and indeed most Japanese younger than 50 years old, wouldn’t bow much to the emperor. Most Japanese are not too fond of the tenno and most of the 2chan posters call him Nihonnozaru (Japanese monkey).

[bootless]

And look at that smiling man in the front row, center. Shocking.

[Jake from AZ]