[Billthedrill]

Oh, boy. I haven't weighed in on this one because I actually have a bit of sympathy for 0bama here - it isn't really that difficult to get the Japanese bow but if you don't understand what you're trying to communicate you end up looking like, well, like that.

The Japanese, being Japanese, will forgive him almost anything for trying. Lord knows they forgave me enough during my time there. But somebody really, really let 0bama down if they didn't at least tell him what the protocols are. What do we have a State Department for, anyway?

The Emperor probably thinks he's goofy but sweet, which is what they think of most of us gaijin and sometimes it's the best they do think. But this isn't some dumb E-3 visiting his Japanese counterparts' parents' home, it's the head of state, and it makes me angry to see him appear as ignorant as...well, as I did sometimes. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Your points are all well taken and good. Issue now is whether he got the brief from State/Embassy and what they specifically advised. If it was not to do it and he ignored it, that says something. If they said to bow like that (harder to believe) that also says something. It also says something that, what with his self-proclaimed knowledge of Asia-Pacific and culture which he arrogantly talked about on this trip, if the State gave him bum deal and told him to bow like a fool, he would know it was crap and would disregard it and do just the handshake.

Fact is, either way you cut it, Obama should have known better, he was either misled and failed to catch it, or they prepped him and he ignored it, or they did not prep him at all, and he either had this on his mind from the beginning as some kind of show, or he just winged it at the last moment ("freelanced" it as I am fond of saying), making a fool of himself regardless. One of those flavors of macha ice cream I am afraid.

[Candor7]

This would all be fine as you describe, heavens knows many of us who have spent time in Japan know what you say is absolutely true.

But the last thing Japan needs right now is a US president who has an image of weakness.And thats what they got.The Chinese are already raising a stink and the Koreans will wipe the floor with him.The Norkies are laughing themselves silly and getting ready to play Obama like a fiddle.And Taiwan? They cringe at a weak president.

That is the problem.