Obama Bows Again: Japans Emperor This Time
November 14, 2009 | Posted by Shannon Bell On his trip to Japan, President Obama has thrown protocol out the window once again as he bowed to Japans Emperor Akihito. The American President has a tendency of bowing when he isn’t supposed to. Makes you wonder, does he not understand protocol, or is he simply trying to send a signal to the rest of the world that the United States is now a submissive Nation?
Anything’s possible with Obama; but he’s hard to figure. Most times he’s expecting to be treated as royalty himself, you know, King of the World. Other times like this instance in Japan, he reduces the office of President of the United States to tourist status. Drew M. at Ace has an interesting take as well:
I think most Americans find the idea of bowing to royalty kind of silly. The Emperor of Japan would be different simply because it’s the cultural tradition to bow to anyone when you meet them in Japan. Obama however, isn’t a tourist or a businessman hungry to close a deal. He is American head of state and he doesn’t bow to other heads of state. Well, he didn’t until recently.
A simple nod of respect would have sufficed, would it not? Obama has a penchant for overkill; he’s trying desperately to show the rest of the world that we’re no better than they are. While showing respect and honor to other nations is appropriate, the office of the President of the United States deserves that same respect. Demeaning the office doesn’t elevate other countries, it simply demeans the Presidency.
Obama bowing to Japans Emperor and Saudi’s King doesn’t show the world anything, except that perhaps he will do anything to make the world love him. How sad.
Categories: Foreign Affairs, Obama Administration | 
Tags: Barack Obama, Emperor Akihito, Japan, protocol, Saudi Arabia | 
9 Comments »
Did Emperor Akihito return the bow? If so, it’s a positive display of mutual respect. If not, it’s a disturbing show of one-sided deference inappropriate for our President in the face of a foreign leader.
I’d have said in the face of “a peer” rather than “a foreign leader”, but the President of the United State of America has few, if any, peers.
Please, please, PLEASE tell us that this time the foreign official our nation’s leader bowed to returned the courtesy and respect. Bowing is a common gesture in the Japanese culture, and one the Emperor should have initiated or returned without hesitation.
So…. can someone please help clarify: did Emperor Akihito also bow? I sincerely hope he did.
Mr. Illinois I don’t know if Akihito bowed or not, the point is Obama should not have. Obama has yet to understand that the OFFICE of the President has certain protocols and demands respect itself. Obama thinks HE IS the Presidency, he doesn’t get that the Presidency is bigger than he is.
In some instances, like meeting foreign heads of state, his personal preferences need to take a backseat to proper protocol.
In Japan a younger person should bow to an older person.
I’m not sure how I feel about Obama bowing. Let’s see if he bows to the South Korean president. If he doesn’t he is being very inconsistent and the South Koreans will be offended.
I saw a video of it. Akihito did not return the bow… at least.. he might have given a hesitant 15 degree bow (which is proper polite greeting). He certainly did not give a full bow like Obama. In fact he looked a little confused, as if he wasn’t expecting it and was unsure how to respond.
Also, before Obama did anything, the Emperor reached his hand out to shake- which suggests he was planning to use a Western greeting instead of the bowing- I think American presidents have a long established protocol of greeting him with a handshake, and he was not expecting the bow.
Thanks Cicero, if you find a link to the video let us know. It’s just more Obama trying to be unlike an American President.
In Japan the younger person bows to the older person. The older person does not bow to a younger person.
I know if I had the chance to see The Emperor of Japan I sure as hell would bow, regardless if I were President, Chancellor or Czar. I would feel like a total ass if I failed to do so. To hell with the media, WWII is over.
Obama not only embarrassed himself, but also Emperor Akihito.
In Japanese culture, you do not shake hands and bow at the same time. It is simply not done and it is an insult to Japanese mannerisms. But then, the man-child that is the Obama, would not rush to judgment by being insensitive to any one group of people, outside of Islam of course. Emperor Akihito, along with his wife, are looking rather perplexed as to what the hell this idiot is doing, while remaining politely bemused by this buffoons actions.
It was bad enough that George H.W. Bush actually threw up on the Japanese prime minister back in 1992, now we have Obama regurgitating Ectoplasmic Goo over the whole world.
A hot shower and lots of scrubbing isn’t gonna wash this taint off.