My Most Excellent Adventures Bowing in Japan

Bowing shows respect in Japanese culture and it is equivalent to the Western world's handshake. By my second week of a month-long visit, bowing in Japan became an instinctive reflex. Whether to a human or an animated graphic on an ATM machine, I was bowing to everyone and everything. I even caught myself doing it while skiing down a Mt. Fuji ski slope.

Acting Like a Chicken to Win Bowing Competitions

Being introduced to someone in a formal setting, I knew how and when to bow but was unsure what Japanese etiquette dictated in informal settings such as passing strangers on streets. I was also unsure when to stop bowing. I also decided it was almost like a game and determined whoever got in the last bow, won.

I quickly learned the streetwise solution to survive this cultural quandary: the "chicken head bobble-bow." I'm not sure what the formal name of this Japanese bowing technique is called but the best way I can describe it is to imagine a chicken strutting and extending its head back and forth with each step.

An informal bowing competition was launched once establishing eye contact with a stranger. My head bobbled forcing him or her to reciprocate a bobble-bow. If they ignored my gesture, they would have appeared rude and rudeness does not exist in the Japanese culture. We exchanged bobble-bows back and forth until out of sight but I tried my best to sneak in the last bow to win this respectful competition.

Hello. My Name is Jennifer. I Am a Bowing Addict.

It was during the once-in-a-lifetime ski trip to Mt. Fuji when I realized my bowing in Japan had gone a bit overboard. I was not a skilled skier but having the opportunity to ski Mt. Fuji was too good to give up.

My host, a friend and I ended up at Yeti (www.yeti-resort.com/e), a ski resort popular with snowboarders and skiers. Intimidated by the slopes and determined to grab bragging rights, I inhaled the cool air and pushed down Mt. Fuji for the thrill of my life.

Struggling to stay upright and remembering skiing basics of snowplow and parallel the constant swoosh of snowboarders zipping by was distracting. Even more distracting was my body's uncontrollable reflex to bow to everyone on the slope. Yes. Everyone.

My Most Excellent Adventure Skiing Mt. Fuji

Wobbling down Mt. Fuji and amazed I had not taken a fall the end was in sight. At the base of the ski run a sign read "SLOW DOWN." This presented a problem because the ski slope was now steeper than at the top. The law of gravity reminded me a steep hill results in acceleration, not slowing down. Without a strategy to slow down on the steep ski slope my descent down Mt. Fuji began slowly but quickly erupted in chaos.

Somehow I fell and I'm pretty sure it involved a snowboarder. With ski gear still attached, my arms and legs flailed as I slid down Mt. Fuji head first, on my back with my eyes closed. My speed accelerated atop the slick and icy snow and heard the whoosh of skiers and snowboarders.

There was no hope of stopping. I was destined to slide off the side of the mountain and into an unknown abyss.

And then there was silence. No longer moving, I shyly opened my eyes to see I was at the base of Mt. Fuji's ski run and at the feet of a couple dozen snowboarders and skiers who stared down at me. Embarrassed with my performance, I sheepishly stood up. To my surprise, some cheered and applauded. Instinctively, I continued my bowing in Japan habit to express gratitude to my new fan club. Within minutes I hit the Mt. Fuji slopes for another exhilarating run. Yes, bowing all the way down.

Source:

Visit to Shizuoka and Yamanashi Prefectures, Oct. 2004
Yeti www.yeti-resort.com/e