Study of the difference in the movement of experienced and inexperienced persons in Japanese bowing

Abstract

In Japanese, to receive a guest with hospitality and assist him in various ways is called “omotenashi”. The word “omotenashi” has become internationally recognized as designating a form of welcoming rooted in the traditions and culture of Japan. Greeting is the basis of omotenashi, and one of the ways to greet is to bow. We conducted an experiment on the difference in maneuver between an experienced and inexperienced person and measuring the positions and timing of the bowing motion. Furthermore for the inexperienced persons, we conducted an analysis of the improvement of the motion with presence or absence of instruction as variable. The bow of the experienced person had a stable angle, with the shoulder angle (θ1) being around 180° all three times, and the angle of the waist (θ2) was almost 30° all three times. Inexperienced persons can be trained to a certain level by watching footage of model bowing, though there are significant differences according to the individual.