Posted on 11/15/2009 6:11:20 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo
Title in-full is: "Obama Bow To Emperor Inappropriate-- U.S. Conservative Faction Criticizes"(オバマ氏の天皇にお辞儀は不適切 米保守派が批判 (They are essentially saying that US Conservatives are asserting that. (But it is fairly widespread here as a perception, and growing, although to-date Japanese have been their typical polite goodselves in playing down the faux paus of an ignorant, visiting, protocol-devoid foreigner, in this case POTUS).
(http://www.47news.jp/CN/200911/CN2009111601000125.html)
Goes on to say that U.S. Conservative blogosphere, FOX News, etc. have picked up on the Obama bow as inappropriate. Also tied it into the earlier Obama bow/genuflection to Saudi Arabian King.
For your information.
It is actually from a Kyodo News report, which means it has now hit the Japanese news wires, big time. (...this is equivalent to AP carrying it in USA, Notimex in Latin America, German Press Agency in Germany, etc.).
They do lurk from time to time, yes.
The key difference is that you're not the President of the United States, and your sensei is not the God-Emperor of Japan.
Sad to think that the “leader” of our great country is that devious......
Yeah they know how famous and infamous FR is remember you post about the story about Freepers took down Dan Rather
We are Godzilla of internet Freepers are
If we were to use Alinksy tactics back against the left, we'd start screaming exactly that for the Japanese press to report "they said" to.
Apparantly, as of 9:30 p.m. Eastern tonight on Google Japan Search (news and blog reference) search function, one gets a whopping 4,410 pages, references and what not to the exact phrase "Obama Bow To The Emperor Was Inappropriate" (オバマ氏の天皇にお辞儀は不適切) :
It is going viral here, too. (But many references to this same Kyodo News story. BTW,Kyodo is no laughing matter, folks. Very widespread coverage.)
Godzilla must be laughing his huge head off at the stupidity and ignorance of the fake president!
Correspondent Keiichi Homma, from the major Japanese daily YOMIURI SHIMBUN, their special correspondent in Washington, is now picking it up. I just read his story in Japanese about five minutes ago.
For a long time there was a general contempt among the Japanese for ‘foreigners,’ not just Westerners but everyone who wasn’t Japanese. Some of that still exists, but it’s very limited.
My daughter had the good fortune to live in Japan for two years, and was amazed at how much the people she met loved America and Americans, and mostly all things American. She met older men who were toddlers at the end of WWII, who recounted how it was US troops who had given them milk to drink and food to eat when they were otherwise starving. She was very pleased with the way she was welcomed to her village.
The day she left her remote village, half the town (it seemed) turned out to see her off on an early morning train to Tokyo, all brought gifts after having given countless farewell luncheons and dinners. It was a wonderful experience and she’s looking forward to returning, hopefully this summer.
Now wait just a minute! I have read at least three publications that said Japan was THRILLED with our President... LOL
???
OH YEAH HE IS ROFL
What the hell was that...a convulsion?
Outstanding!
It really puts it all in perspective when you think there should be no discussion other than in passing of the greeting given the Emperor.
Would you be able to summarize the amount/level of attention you think this will get, as opposed to the type of reaction? In other words, how big a news item do you think this is or will be there?
I was taught in a “business Japanese” course that one shouldn’t ever shake hands *and* bow at the same time. Pick one or the other, and if one is a westerner visiting Japan, the Japanese will be expecting the westerner to shake hands. If they know you and know you know something about Japanese etiquette, then they might expect you to bow and would bow first rather than offer their hand.
The generalized advice came down to “shake hands, but back off the pressure a bit - they’re not going for the John Wayne handshake overseas...” and “if you’re not sure about the etiquette for the occasion, discretely *ask*.”
The way that some western businesspeople simply stuff business cards immediately into their pockets causes more offense in some situations than a confusion of bow/handshakes...
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