How low will he go? Obama gives Japan's Emperor Akihito a wow bow (Updates with videos, pic)

(New UPDATE: Monday 5:02 p.m. OK, it's not funny if you work at the White House. But for everybody else a new video at the bottom of this post will provide some chuckles about how the rest of the world chooses to greet the Japanese Emperor. Hint: It's different than President Obama.)

(UPDATES: 12:22 p.m. Saturday. A brief news video has been added below, showing the greeting in this photograph. Contrary to some claims, the video shows no reciprocal bow by the emperor, who traditionally bows to no one. And we've added a file photo from 2007 of Vice President Dick Cheney greeting the Japanese Emperor at the same residence in a different fashion.)

How low will the new American president go for the world's royalty?

This photo will get Democrat President Obama a lot of approving nods in Japan this weekend, especially among the older generation of Japanese who still pay attention to the royal family living in its downtown castle. Very low bows like this are a sign of great respect and deference to a superior.

To some in the United States, however, an upright handshake might have looked better. (See Cheney-Akihito photo, right).

Remember Michelle Obama casually patting Britain's Queen Elizabeth on the back during their Buckingham Palace visit? America's royalty tends to make movies and get bad reviews and lots of money as a sign of respect.

Obama could receive some frowns back home as he did for his not-quite-this-low-or-maybe-about-the-same-bow to the Saudi king not so long ago. (See photo here)

How times change under Democratic presidents.

Back in 1994 when President Bill Clinton appeared to maybe perhaps almost start to bow to Akihito at a White House encounter, U.S. officials rushed to deny it was any such a thing. And the N.Y. Times chronicled the comedic drama here.

Akihito, who turns 76 next month, is the eldest son and fifth child of Emperor Showa, the name given to an emperor and his reign after his death.

Emperor Showa is better known abroad by the life name of Hirohito. He became emperor in 1925 and died in 1989, the longest historically-known rule of the nation's 125 emperors.

Hirohito presided over his nation's growth from an undeveloped agrarian economy into the expansionist military power and ally of Nazi Germany of the 1930's.

And, later, Japan became a global economic giant. Hirohito, along with Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who authorized the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, were much reviled abroad during World War II.

Historically, debate has simmered over how much of a political puppet Hirohito was to the country's military before and during the war.

Even after Democratic President Harry Truman ordered the two atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the summer of 1945, there were strong forces within Japan that wanted to continue to fight the Americans in the spirit of kamikaze suicide pilots.

But Akihito's father went on national radio, the first time his subjects had ever heard Hirohito's voice, and without using the inflammatory word "surrender," pronounced that the country must "accept the unacceptable." It did.

As the conquering Allied general and then presiding officer of the U.S. occupation, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, decided to allow Japan to keep its emperor as a ceremonial unifying institution within a nascent democracy.

Tojo, on the other hand, was hanged.

MacArthur treated Emperor Hirohito respectfully but, as his body language in this black and white postwar photo demonstrates, was not particularly deferential. 

(But then MacArthur was not known as a particularly deferential person, as Truman discovered just before firing him later. But that's another war.)

Akihito was born during Japan's conquering of China and was evacuated during the devastating American fire-bombing of Tokyo, which was built largely of wood in those days.

The future emperor learned English during the U.S. occupation, but, inexplicably, his father ordered that his oldest boy not receive an Army commission as previous imperial heirs always had.

Akihito assumed the throne on Jan. 7, 1989. Within weeks he began a series of formal expressions of remorse to Asian countries for Japan's actions during his....

...father's reign. In 2003, he underwent surgery for prostate cancer.

In 1959, Akihito married Michiko Shoda, the first commoner allowed to enter the Japanese royal family. That was two years before the birth of Akihito's future presidential guest, Barack Obama.

Joe Biden was already 17 by then. But he wasn't a senator.

(UPDATE: Here's a new video assembled by some clever College Republicans at the University of Connecticut. It's even got music and requires no explanation.

-- Andrew Malcolm

No bowing necessary here. Just click here to get Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot. And we're also over here on Facebook.

Photo: Mandel Ngan / AFP / Getty; David Bohrer / White House (Vice President Dick Cheney greets Emperor Akihito somewhat differently in 2007); Reuters (Obama bows to the king of Saudi Arabia earlier this year); U.S. Army Archives (Gen. Douglas MacArthur not bowing to Emperor Hirohito after World War II).

Comments

[Huck Finn]

Many American's voted for this guy. Not me!

You deal with it now!

I ain't got no "skin" in this debacle!

[zuzu61]

For the "unaware" who are applauding him for showing respect to a japanese leader...let me clarify the facts for you. There are varying degrees of a "bow".
As a national leader, he can embrace their custom as a courtesy TO A DEGREE, a lesser bend illustrating courtesy and respect, however, the greater the degree of a bend (or at 90 degrees) the more inferior you demonstrate your position to be,( i.e., a slight bend or courtesty bend is much shorter and quicker than a slower, deeper bend which says "from my inferior position, I honor and respect your more superior position"). The bow that BO is demonstrating in the picture is inappropriate for the leader of the US or any national leader. And before another liberal quack screams about BO making us look good or being simply "respectful"...he's not showing respect as much as he's showing "submission". Just as he did to the Saudi king (and by the way...DENIED doing afterwards). Those of you who don't know any better and think I'm splitting hairs are uneducated in the field of foreign policy and international protocol Those who DO know better will realized as I do that, once again, he lets us down and portrays America as less of a sovreign power and more as an apologetic dunce
We're in real serious trouble folks. A little more of that "change we can believe in" and we're not going to be able to recognize this place anymore...

[Dutra]

The weight of the POTUS' soft underbelly continues to pull him earthward.

[christopher grimes]

trying to cover up for his bow to the saudis.

do your duty CIA.

"enemies, foreign or domestic"

[BigPat]

President Obama, please get it thru your thick skull it's not acceptable to bow to foreign dignitaries.

Thank goodness the photographer was savvy enough not to show an Obama facial closeup when he went back to a standing position - as I'm sure there would have been a little fluid dripping from his chin too.

[ChicLady]

My goodness! What in the world is wrong with you people! For the Japanese bowing is equal to our handshakes here in America. By the comments posted I take it MANY of you have never even been to a Japanese resturant here in the USA... you walk in and both you and hostess greet eachother with a bow!

[SonofLiberty]

Almost as astonishing as Obama's humiliating action in a country which owns a huge amount of American debt is that the Los Angeles Times has actually reported this in full instead of perpetrating another malfeasence of their journalistic code (aka a cover-up).

[Suzanne]

WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE BRIEF OBAMA, BEFORE ALLOWING HIM TO SET FOOT OUTSIDE OF WASHINGTON????? I AM HORRIFIED-EMBARRASSED-DISGUSTED BY HIS IDIOTIC BEHAVIOR. I SPENT A QUARTER OF A CENTURY ABROAD. MY INTERNATIONAL COMPANY SENT THEIR EMPLOYEES TO AN INTERNATIONAL BRIEFING CENTER, PRIOR TO TAKING UP POSTS OUTSIDE EUROPE. CAN WE NOT DO AS MUCH FOR OBAMA? THIS MAN HAS NO IDEA OF PROPER ETIQUETTE OR MUCH OF ANYTHING, ASIDE FROM HOW THE CHICAGO POL MACHINE WORKS. IN FACT, HIS CABINET IS FULL TO THE TOP WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NO MANNERS AND REALLY, REALLY HORRIFYING IDEAS FOR OUR NATION.

[RightWingInc]

The world used to have respect for the U.S. They would call us names and protest and what not, but they still had respect for us.

Now they laugh at us. We appear weak now. We are in trouble.

http://www.RightWingInc.com
Anti Obama Stickers

[Harry]

Please Tell President Obama he was insulted By the Emperor due to the fact the Emperor didn,t bother to return his bow at all.In Japan the other person by rank usually returns the bow slightly higher if they are of a higher rank or slightly lower if not. Now here,s where I get in trouble..... It was a racist move by the Emperor who would never bow to a blackman, infact a dollar gets you a hundred he washed his hands after Obama left.

[gwc7311]

What a shame. I sure hope Michelle is proud to be an American. Proud to have a worm for a husband. Who knows, maybe Obama is a real teabagger.

[DigitalBob]

It's more like Obama to be facing the other direction when he bends over in front of foreign heads of state.

[BHO]

Liar. Fraud. Disgrace. Zero.

[Pip]

They bow in Japan you tea baggers. Maybe there will be a big news article in Japan about the emperor shook hands with the western devil. Or not; because the Japanese haven't LOST THEIR MINDS.

[David]

Americans do not bow, we stand high with our shoulders back and salute to show respect to superior officers. We stand high and respectfully shake hands to show respect to civilians. The President of the United States, the same country which allowed Japan to maintain the role of the emperor after World War II, bows to no one, period. This is totally unacceptable, first to the "King" of Saudi Arabia, now to the Japanese Emperor, I guess we shouldn't be surprised, because throughout the campaign PRESIDENT Obama, refused to bestow the honor of the office on his predecessor, and referred to him on a first name basis.

[Frank Burns]

This just proves that Barack Hussein Obama does not have this countries best interest at heart. Dont be fooled people. He is trying to destroy this country and hes doing a good job at it. He will denie he is a muslim but he is a muslim and he was also not born in this country. I DO NOT CALL HIM PRESIDENT OBAMA. I CALL HIM USURPER OBAMA. I PRAY OUR COUNTRY CAN OUTLAST HIS REIGN OF POWER.

[unreal]

Congratulations to Andrew for writing the least relevant and pointless news story of the year. Surely there's another story the editors will toss you...or maybe you should take a hint...

Congratulations are also due to all of the clueless idiots that take this paparazzi type of political coverage as "news", not to mention news to get upset with. You are no more sophisticated then your teenage kids that read People or Us Weekly looking for that perfectly timed picture of Brittany's panties, that while striking, provides nothing but an intentionally manipulated interpretation of a scene in order to sell copies, gain viewers, or in Andrew's case, earn some badly needed clicks to his story.

So while you all stew over this and circle your militias, take a few seconds out to think, stop being such easy and obvious targets for simple minded journalists. Maybe, just maybe there are a few more important things that we, our country and our president should be concerning ourselves with then the depth of Obama's bow to a vital political allies ceremonial leader.

Unreal!

[What Is He Doing?]

Look, I voted for this guy, but I'm more uncertain about that vote every day. I'm beginning to think he has no clue what he's doing!

[lee seidel]

I laugh at the right-wing nutjobs who are making a big deal about this photo. Really Drudge? This headlines but you ignore the valor of US soldiers in combat? You are pathetic.

Posted by: Jean Pierre | November 14, 2009 at 07:26 AM

--------------------------
blaming Drudge? this is the LA Times, your favorite newspaper you degenerate, and you DR Nick still blaming Bush. Please... you now have your ruler obama..he's going to save the planet for you, but right now he is shining the shoes of Akihito.

[Fatboy]

Barack Hussein Obama. Mmm, mmm, mmm.

[Gardner]

Actually, the funny thing here is he's screwing it up. The deep bow is juxtaposed with his one handed handshake. To show respect you have to use two hands to do the handshake. A one handed shake is a sign of superiority. If he was Japanese that bow would come off as extremely sarcastic.

[Blue State Disgust]

When one possesses no backbone, what do you expect? Of course obama folds over like a used napkin for anyone who's not American, the stooping imbecile that he is. In fact, while you're down there Barry, might as well kiss his feet, among other things.

[tortillapete]

He's just channeling his inner-Steppin Fetchit...

[Darrel]

When Obama bowed to the Saudi King, the white house LIED and said it was not a bow. Now he bows to emporer of Japan - let me guess - the white house will claim this is ALSO not a bow.

They clearly lied over the bow to the Saudi King. Then Obama played kissy face with Chavez. Teh he appologized for the USA all over the world. He treated our allies in the UK and Germany as second class members of the world.

Obama - you are a disgusting pig - I detest you with every fiber of my being. For the first time in my adult life I find the presdient absoultely disgusting.

[Kodi Jones]

Let's stop making this into more than it is...he is not bowing to the emperor...he is mooning America, our troops in Afghanistan, 9-11 victims and their survivors, Hondurans, Czechs...the list goes on. At least he kept his pants up.

Kodi

[Yoko]

This is exactly the problem with the American culture- Lack of subtlety sensitivity toward other cultures and traditions. Because of that United States has gotten so many times in trouble.
Obama is trying to go beyond this insensitivity and understand what really happens within each phenomenon. Such behavior requires a lot of strength, lack of insecurity and self confidence.
Let's say that the photograph in this picture is all there is (which is not the case. I'm sure there were a lot more dynamic in actual interaction, as it was the case with Saudi's king). In Japanese culture the bows are always mutual in Japan and for Obama initiate or reciprocate that means to Japanese people sign of integrity, strength and respect. For them bows NEVER considered to be weak.
I hope sooner than later we come to a bit more profound understanding of things and walk away from superficial interpretations.

[Old Roy]

Come on folks, he was just checking to see if the little guy needed a shine.

[lamchops]

In fact, this is embarrassing to the royal family, not a sign of respect.

Private citizen Barack Obama was not invited to an audience with the Emperor, President Barack Obama was. In the capacity of President of the united States of America, President Obama is expected to observe certain protocols. One of these is to respect the principal of the equality of nations. That means he should neither show show excessive deference to other national leaders, nor should he expect other national leaders to show excessive deference to him. By bowing to the Emperor of Japan, he has breached these protocols.

The Japanese are a culture with deep reverence for proper behavior and respect for appropriate manners and social protocol. To violate these rules embarrasses both parties. As a result of this I would expect Obama is regarded in Japan as a naive fool, worthy of contempt, and not to be taken as a serious person.

[Eoghan]

Waah! To make a polite gesture to the state figurehead by following a local custom us to doom us to the PC thugs and multicultural pinko socialists. Waah!

[1GregM]

Just another episode from the slow motion train wreck leading this country toward third world recognition. As an American I am not so shocked that Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize without any accomplishments to his name. We gave him the White House based on the same credentials. 2010 and 2012 cannot come fast enough to begin turning this country around to the world ower we represent. I want my country back - how about you.

[CMHensley]

He also showing his disdain for America, and his lack of respect, because not everyone loves him here. I hope and pray we can choose a new Republican President, who is loyal American Citizen, who loves his country, and fellow citizens who is not arrogant is a self centered person. This new Republican, has to have integrity, love of country. Is a pragmatist, honest, a social conservative, especially anti abortion, anti gay marriage,who empathy for immigrants who find themselves in this country, because they were allowed to be here working undocumented. Clearly 12million cannot be deported, and families seperated, that is why Obama got the Hispanic vote he had empathy for these workers. We need a comprehensive immigration reform, shut the borders completely, have those that are here work hard to get documented and have a workable guest program for the agriculture field. This new presidential candidate has to have idol appeal,appearance, can speak authority, make wonderful speeches especially be honest and not self centered. Being young is appealing to Senior citizens, that is the reason some voted for Obama. Who is out there that can fill these shoes. I thought Palin would have been it, but now I wonder. Perhaps Romney or Pawlenty, my God who is out there for the Republican. Independent candidates cannot be trusted because they are probably put up to take votes away from the Republicans. We cannot afford to back a third party candidate, if we want to get Obama out and win the WH back.

[Mike the knife]

It's called proper protocol not to bow as a head of state pierre. How many previous presidents bowed to foriegn dignitaries? None to my knowledge. Only a left wing, ideologue, one world-er would find that jesture acceptable, nut job.

[Scott]

What's wrong with showing respect for a foreign head of state? It demonstrates that the US isn't as arrogant as everyone in the world thinks we are. Good for the President!

[Tom Amlie]

For all of those who argue that this is nothing but a sign of respect, and is "normal" in Asian cultures, I'm still looking for the picture of Akihito bowing to Obama. Respect is a 2-way street. Subservient boot-licking like this goes one way. Similarly for those who bring up Bush's hand-holding with Saud, or his hugging of Saud. In addition to being utterly irrelevant to the topic at hand, those were MUTUAL displays of affection/respect.

[Rolyat]

It's obvious that this is a trick camera angle.
He wasn't bowing (and scraping); he just tripped!

[FedUp]

Funny, Obama bows to everyone except the Americam people.

[john pinero]

He has gone pretty low already, but everyday it's a new low for our radical commander and chief.

[Elliott Carlin]

Interesting...the article was all about how great Obama was for bowing and how bad MacArthur was for not.

This son of Kenya is no son of the United States.

CHANGE-------------his address is 2012.

[Bjorn]

Look, Obama is a joke. In private world leaders are laughing themselves silly. Officially, of course, they say it's nice to see a new tone in Washington, but so far it has not bought us anything. He is just trying to deflect his bow to the Saudi King. Let's not worry about it. While Obama is attracting all this attention for being funny, he is robbing us blind. He is outwitting us. Let's focus on things that matter. Where is the TARP money? Right now most of it is going into Obama's re-election campaign and to buy off congressional votes to pass the health care bill. Let's stop the rest from being spent. Let's stay focused on rendering him harmless in 2010.

[Joe Blow]

Wow, there's many here defending Obama's bow because they think this is a sign of respect because they've seen too many hollywood movies and think this is respectful. Sorry to say that you are naive as all bows are not the same and sometimes they can be considered silly or even disrespectful if done improperly.

The fact is that there is a big difference in a slight bow and a deep bow that Obama performed. A deep bow is a sign of servitude, not really respect. It means that the person in which you are bowing is your superior, elder, master, etc. and this person is above you on every level.

The problem here is that this is our president and at the highest level of honor you can get in the world if you are going on a Japanese honor scale (President of US matches their Emperor in terms of honor). So the proper respectful protocol would have been a slight bow and in fact when you learn about the Japanese culture it is completely acceptable and very respectful to shake hands if you are not Japanese.

You see, the Japanese do not expect a Westerner to bow, so bowing doesn't usually add any additional level of respect and may actually cause a few laughs if done improperly. If you look at Obama's bow even how his eyes look below the Emperor's shoes is silly AND he is shaking hands while he bows which is completely dumb.

What did we learn? Only perform deep bows to your superiors, only perform slight bows to your equal, and if you are a westerner, shaking hands is fine. Finally, If you are the President, get better advice than your hollywood friends on how to bow correctly as stuff like this makes America looks ignorant, not gracious.

[1GregM]

What's the difference between Obama's cabinet and a penitentiary?
One's full of tax evaders, blackmailers and threats to society. The other is for prisoners.
The liberals have asked us to give Obama time. 25 to life seems appropriate.

[john pinero]

He is pretty low but everyday it's a new low for our commander and chief.

[Jill]

To those who proclaim the "wow bow" is common courtesy in Japan - note "The Anointed One" is not knocking heads with the Emperor - not a mutual act taking place at all. Those 5th & 6th grade "social studies" classes from the 1970s have done America grave harm. Obama is case in point.

[Max Gamman]

Well at least he isn't kissing these guys like George Bush II (The Ignorant) did with the Saudi Prince when he was president.
Besides, we owe too much to the Asians to upset them as we are going to screw them "royally" as we debase our currency (Infalte or die, is our only refuge)to lessen the immense debt the US owes the world.
We are truly a third rate nation, in the economic sense.

[GeminiAura]

Can the protocol office at the State Department please teach BO diplomatic protocol? 1. A US president does not bow before royalty. 2. If a US president does break that protocol it's a slight tilt of the head or a slight bow to reciprocate. What BO did was embarrassing to himself and the US. In Asian culture, the person who bows deepest acknowledges that he is inferior or subordinate. And since BO is president of the US he inadvertently (or intentionally) placed himself and the US below Japan. Way to go!

[Daniel]

Meanwhile Obama is still dithering on a decison on Afghanistan - while young men and women die as he putzs around the world.

[Dr. Joseph K. Prince, Ph.D. MPH, ASCP.]

Americans bow to no man; that was proven during our war of independence and has been followed by all our prior Presidents!!! However, a weak willed incompetent such as Obama will bow because he can not negotiate with strength and being afraid of foreign dignitaries he has to kiss butts! It is embarrassing and unfortunate that our President has no concept of what a bow by an American means. Other Americans who continue to support him and think he is doing well in office know no better and are also willing to kiss butt. They have no idea how totally incompetent is he!

[Zachie K.]

-mental midgets. He's POTUS. It's his job to represent the U.S. wherever he may travel -to show deference and respect. Just as we should expect the same of leaders who travel to our country.

[Matt]

I lived in Japan for half a year when I was in my 20s. I learned a few things re etiquette and the place of the emperor in Japanese society. The emperor NEVER bows, unless the "unthinkable" has happened, which is why he bowed to MacArthur and Mac didn't bow back. That was a unique situation in Japanese history and the vanquished always bow to the conqueror. I am sure MacArthur knew that. However the US president is not in Japan to declare it conquered. As long as the emperor lives and as an institution continues (a decision Mac made), he doesn't bow as long as his nation is not in a position of being given up to a conqueror.

That said, Obama is a "sovereign" in the sense that he is the highest executive authority in the US. He isn't royalty but that is why we had that whole revolution thing back there in 1776. It is good P/R for him to bow to the emperor but that is all it is. No one disputes that the US dominates Japan militarily and our good graces keep what is left of their economy going. If not for the US, Japan would now be the easternmost edge of the Chinese Empire, and they know it.

I agree our president can go a bit overboard on the ritual deference thing to royalty. However he isn't doing anything other than making good P/R. And that is why the people elected him in contrast to Bush Jr. who was not so good at that kind of thing. (Of course no one thought he would become a work-out and dinner kind of president, seemingly utterly oblivious to the realities of a de facto 20% unemployment rate, but that is another story).

[LEO]

ta ta ta! look eye! always look eye!!