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The Japanese are so darn polite!

TheParser

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1. Every day I go to YouTube to see the latest videos of what the Emperor and Empress have been doing.

2. Today I saw them walking through the (main?) railroad station in Tokyo.

3. They waved to all the ordinary people who were waiting to see them.

4. They also bowed to the dignitaries who were there to greet them, and the latter bowed back, some deeper than others.

5. Just think if our leaders bowed to one another as a matter of course.

a. If President Trump and Speaker Pelosi, for example, bowed to each other on a regular basis, such behavior might serve as an example of good behavior that more Americans (especially the young) might follow.

b. To the best of my knowledge, the Japanese are the only people who still regularly bow to one another. The Chinese have largely discarded bowing. What a pity!


GOOD MANNERS ARE THE LUBRICANT OF A CIVILIZED SOCIETY
 
1. Every day I go to YouTube to see the latest videos of what the Emperor and Empress have been doing.

2. Today I saw them walking through the (main?) railroad station in Tokyo.

3. They waved to all the ordinary people who were waiting to see them.

4. They also bowed to the dignitaries who were there to greet them, and the latter bowed back, some deeper than others.

5. Just think if our leaders bowed to one another as a matter of course.

a. If President Trump and Speaker Pelosi, for example, bowed to each other on a regular basis, such behavior might serve as an example of good behavior that more Americans (especially the young) might follow.

b. To the best of my knowledge, the Japanese are the only people who still regularly bow to one another. The Chinese have largely discarded bowing. What a pity!


GOOD MANNERS ARE THE LUBRICANT OF A CIVILIZED SOCIETY

My husband spent a week in Japan on business. He was struck by how calm and quiet they were. It took some getting used to for him, but he enjoyed being there. So different from the noise and commotion we have here.
 
1. Every day I go to YouTube to see the latest videos of what the Emperor and Empress have been doing.

2. Today I saw them walking through the (main?) railroad station in Tokyo.

3. They waved to all the ordinary people who were waiting to see them.

4. They also bowed to the dignitaries who were there to greet them, and the latter bowed back, some deeper than others.

5. Just think if our leaders bowed to one another as a matter of course.

a. If President Trump and Speaker Pelosi, for example, bowed to each other on a regular basis, such behavior might serve as an example of good behavior that more Americans (especially the young) might follow.

b. To the best of my knowledge, the Japanese are the only people who still regularly bow to one another. The Chinese have largely discarded bowing. What a pity!


GOOD MANNERS ARE THE LUBRICANT OF A CIVILIZED SOCIETY

shrug...

If we did that bowing thing, the media would be full of this:

"Did you see how far Trump bowed? That was an INSULT!!!"

"In an admission of his precarious position, Trump bowed much more deeply than did Macron."
 
shrug...

If we did that bowing thing, the media would be full of this:

"Did you see how far Trump bowed? That was an INSULT!!!"

"In an admission of his precarious position, Trump bowed much more deeply than did Macron."

It's probably true, the right-wing blog-osphere blew up when Obama bowed to the Emperor.
 
Being in Japan is like being at a Baptist church in the south. Just because everyone is super polite to your face, does not mean they are nice, or good. It simply means they have less obvious ways to provide offense.

That it goes unnoticed by gaejin does not mean its not there.
 
It's probably true, the right-wing blog-osphere blew up when Obama bowed to the Emperor.

Because that was “cultural missappropriation” before it became a “thing”. I’m sure Japans news media is a bit kinder to leaders, too.

But yeah, a bit more civility in public affairs would go a long way.
 
shrug...

If we did that bowing thing, the media would be full of this:

"Did you see how far Trump bowed? That was an INSULT!!!"

"In an admission of his precarious position, Trump bowed much more deeply than did Macron."

 
Being in Japan is like being at a Baptist church in the south. Just because everyone is super polite to your face, does not mean they are nice, or good. It simply means they have less obvious ways to provide offense.

That it goes unnoticed by gaejin does not mean its not there.

Nobody is suggesting that the Japanese are morally superior, just better mannered. That creates a nicer atmosphere overall.
 
Because that was “cultural missappropriation” before it became a “thing”. I’m sure Japans news media is a bit kinder to leaders, too.

But yeah, a bit more civility in public affairs would go a long way.

Cultural misappropriation? Yeah right. The right wing cares so much about that.
 
Nobody is suggesting that the Japanese are morally superior, just better mannered. That creates a nicer atmosphere overall.

That's what I'm saying though...is that it doesn't. You simply don't see it.
 


And just think...we don't even have that tradition.

Like I said, if we did then we'd see the kinds of examples I gave from the media.
 
1. Every day I go to YouTube to see the latest videos of what the Emperor and Empress have been doing.

2. Today I saw them walking through the (main?) railroad station in Tokyo.

3. They waved to all the ordinary people who were waiting to see them.

4. They also bowed to the dignitaries who were there to greet them, and the latter bowed back, some deeper than others.

5. Just think if our leaders bowed to one another as a matter of course.

a. If President Trump and Speaker Pelosi, for example, bowed to each other on a regular basis, such behavior might serve as an example of good behavior that more Americans (especially the young) might follow.

b. To the best of my knowledge, the Japanese are the only people who still regularly bow to one another. The Chinese have largely discarded bowing. What a pity!


GOOD MANNERS ARE THE LUBRICANT OF A CIVILIZED SOCIETY



Trump agrees with you. He commented on how NK's Kim was treated by his people:

“He’s the head of a country, and I mean, he’s the strong head, don’t let anyone think anything different,” Trump said during an interview on Fox & Friends. “He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.”

Good manners.
 
And just think...we don't even have that tradition.

Like I said, if we did then we'd see the kinds of examples I gave from the media.

Righties... Always playing the victim because they expect to be treated as they treat others.
 
Righties... Always playing the victim because they expect to be treated as they treat others.

Not playing the victim. You'll get that stuff no matter who is being spoken about.
 
Trump agrees with you. He commented on how NK's Kim was treated by his people:

“He’s the head of a country, and I mean, he’s the strong head, don’t let anyone think anything different,” Trump said during an interview on Fox & Friends. “He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same.”

Good manners.

There's good manners and then there's downright creepy.
 
Being in Japan is like being at a Baptist church in the south. Just because everyone is super polite to your face, does not mean they are nice, or good. It simply means they have less obvious ways to provide offense.

That it goes unnoticed by gaejin does not mean its not there.

When I lived in Egypt, I suspected (on occasion) that the more overtly polite a person was to me, the more that it was a disingenuous show put on to hide contempt.
 
shrug...

If we did that bowing thing, the media would be full of this:

"Did you see how far Trump bowed? That was an INSULT!!!"

"In an admission of his precarious position, Trump bowed much more deeply than did Macron."

You need meds for your TDS.
 
There's good manners and then there's downright creepy.



It would be good manners and creepy at the same time to shake his hand. It would be most appropriate to scrub my hands with scouring powder afterwards.
 
Being in Japan is like being at a Baptist church in the south. Just because everyone is super polite to your face, does not mean they are nice, or good. It simply means they have less obvious ways to provide offense.

No doubt about that! :mrgreen::mrgreen::cool:
 
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