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If you’re a fan of anime or samurai movies, you may have seen a character perform dogeza, or fall to their knees and bow their head to the ground. While context will probably clue you into what’s happening, you may have wondered exactly what such an extreme bow means in Japanese culture. Read on to learn more about dogeza means and how–and when–to perform it.
Dogeza Quick Overview
Dogeza is a traditional Japanese posture that involves kneeling on the ground and bowing low with your forehead touching the ground. It’s a way to express deep contrition, profound respect or make a heartfelt plea. Its literal translation is “prostrating on the ground.”
Steps
Performing Dogeza
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Sit on the floor in a kneeling posture. Bend your knees under you so your shins are resting on the floor and you’re sitting on your heels. Keep your back straight and your shoulders squared.[4]
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Lean forward and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Rest one hand on the other in a perpendicular arrangement, making a loose triangle shape. Place your hands on the floor about a foot in front of you.[5]
- Keep your back posture as straight as possible.
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Lean forward at the waist while apologizing. As you lean your body forward, state what you are apologizing for. Ask the injured party for forgiveness.[6] Dogeza is only necessary for grievous offenses, so apologize and ask for forgiveness more than once, or you may not seem sorry enough for your behavior.
- An appropriate apology in Japanese might be moushi wake gozaimasen which translates to “there is no excuse.”[7]
- It’s also a good idea to have an anguished expression to communicate your contrition nonverbally.
- Keep your eyes cast downward, and do not make eye contact with the injured party. This can be interpreted as challenging or disrespectful and make you seem less sincere.
- Pause when your head is bowed low before your forehead touches the ground to repeat your apology.
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Bow all the way forward and touch your forehead to the ground. Slide your hands apart to support the weight of your upper body. Then, touch your forehead to the ground in the space between them.[8] Hold this posture until the injured party asks you to get up or refuses your apology and walks away.
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
References
- ↑ https://www.japanesewithanime.com/2021/03/dogeza.html
- ↑ https://www.ejable.com/japan-corner/japanese-culture/bowing-in-japan-how-much-and-when/
- ↑ https://cotoacademy.com/asking-permission-marry-japanese%e3%80%80/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/X97iR0vX8Hk?t=66
- ↑ https://linguaholic.com/linguablog/dogeza-meaning/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/X97iR0vX8Hk?t=89
- ↑ https://cotoacademy.com/how-to-say-im-sorry-in-japanese-sumimasen
- ↑ https://youtu.be/X97iR0vX8Hk?t=126
- ↑ https://postureclinic.in/seiza/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/LOcenTW24hI?t=92
- ↑ https://youtu.be/LOcenTW24hI?t=170
- ↑ https://interacnetwork.com/bowing-in-japan/
- ↑ https://linguaholic.com/linguablog/dogeza-meaning/
- ↑ https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14567680
- ↑ https://interacnetwork.com/bowing-in-japan/
- ↑ https://www.nippon.com/en/guide-to-japan/gu020001/
- ↑ https://interacnetwork.com/bowing-in-japan/
- ↑ https://www.e-bcrp.org/archive/view_article?pid=bcrp-2-2-78
- ↑ https://japan-dev.com/blog/how-to-say-sorry-in-japanese
- ↑ https://japan-dev.com/blog/how-to-say-sorry-in-japanese