Well, I was talking with my girlfriend recently, and we where discussing the Japanese Emperor after watching a documentary (in English) that covered a lot of ground about the Imperial Family here in Japan. I commented that many in the US had criticised Obama for bowing to the Emperor, and my girlfriend reacted the same way I did.
"Huh?"
Cheney led the conservative charge against Obama, declaring that there is no need for the president of America to bow to anyone. "Our friends and allies dont expect it, and it shows weakness to our enemies."
Is it just me, or is it easy to poke holes in this argument?
OK. Here we go. Japan is America's strongest ally in Asia, though there has been public pressure to not be America's puppet. The current government is trying to figure out how to balance 2 competing forces. The US is Japan's most needed ally, since Japan has very strict limits on its ability to wage war, the US plays a key role in Japan's defence. In return, the US ge lots of bases close to China!
Next, as many people know, Japan is a nation where bowing is truly important. The handshake is a relatively late addition that the west introduced into Japan. But bowing has so many varied rules, that it is tough for the Japanese to get right. A slight bow is OK in most informal situations, 45 degrees is a good formal bow if striking up a business relationship, or meeting someone who is "ranked higher" than you. Anything more is truly respectful, or humbling.
(The bow you get when you go to a dept store. Does not matter if you buy anything or not. They still bow!)
The Japanese dont expect westerners to understand the proper etiquette behind bowing, since it is riven with so many intricacies that they struggle with, how can someone who is not brought up in the culture understand it!? Indeed, they have rehersals at school on bowing before any major ceremony! And they get plenty of practise, bowing to the teacher before any class!
Also, when you start your new job, chances are you will go through a refresher in how to bow to customers as they arrive...
Therefore, culturally, all Obama did was to do the culturally appropriate thing in doing a most respectful bow to the figurehead of the Japanese nation.
Now I know Obama is the president of the United States, the most powerful nation on earth, blah blah blah... I really dont need to go into much detail on that do I? And as such, he can do pretty much what he wants.
Problem is, whilst the US is most powerful, it is not all-powerful. It cannot do what it wants with no thought to the consequence. The US needs to rest of the world to help pay for its debt (China holds the most US bonds, followed by Japan, and then the UK) it needs the rest of the world to trade with since its domestic market is not big enough to keep the whole economy rolling.
Also, under the Bush administration did not help the US' cause internationally, and Obama is trying to fix all that, and reset the balance. It may not look like he is getting a lot in return for this, but the problem is at the moment, the rest of the world is seeking a little retribution. Whilst that sort of thing is childish and pointless, it is going to happen. So for now, Obama is going to have to take a few shots on the chin whilst he tries to convince people there is genuine change in the heading in the US. I think that if Obama steps up in Copenhagen, then life will get much easier for him globally for the following years.
Back to the bow.
There is one major point to remember. He is the president. Of the United States. Not Japan. Legally, he was a guest. Like me. OK, a lot of the legal niceties such as passports, fingerprinting, customs checks, etc, ar waived. But they are waived because the host nation is feeling generous. There is nothing in law that declares the president of the United States exempt from such issues around the world. These rules are waived for the sake of international diplomacy. Once Obama leaves office, he will then be subject to the rules that slow things down, same as you or I.
So, lets get this straight. Obama, whilst being the president of the most powerful nation on earth, has absolutely zero power here in Japan.
He is effectively a tourist, with one heckuva job title.
Therefore, it is only right that he follows local custom and pays proper respect to the head of the nation that has allowed him in.
It garnered a lot of column inches here in Japan, and won him a lot of praise. Did it win him anything diplomatically? Not a great deal, but he is facing a new administration. However, the Japanese do have long memories, and in the long run (which in Japan can last decades!) will come back to help out Obama in the future. It did look awkward, but then, massive points to Obama for going for it.
Also, whilst Obama did the right thing in bowing, he did have to go a long way down to make eye contact. The Japanese emperor is rather a short man, and Obama does somewhat tower over him!
It is not just Obama that "shows weakness" by doing such a thing. Various conservative presidents have done so. Bush has bowed to the Pontiff...
Though I am guessing this is OK, since the US is a predominantly strongly Christian nation, and the Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church...
Nixon bowed to Japanese Emperor Hirohito. The Emperor at the time of the second world war. And back to Bush, he held hands with the head of the Saudi Royal Family.
Before people comment that all Bush was doing was showing proper cultural respect, SO WAS OBAMA! Just because Japan has no oil, and is not a Christian nation, that does not mean that the president of the United States does not have to follow local custom!
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