how to use a gesture which is putting the palms together to Japanese people Hi, Today I would like to write about the famous gesture. Some non-Japanese people put their palms together with bowing whe

Mariko

how to use a gesture which is putting the palms together to Japanese people Hi, Today I would like to write about the famous gesture. Some non-Japanese people put their palms together with bowing when they realised I am Japanese and they want to say "Konnichiwa!" I always told them that it was a wrong gesture. Japanese people do the gesture when we are begging, saying sorry or praying to someone/Gods/Buddha. To Gods and Buddha, it is no problem, but for a real human, you may be looked childish when you begging someone to something with this gesture. Here is a diagrams which I drew. We never do the gesture for greeting! It is quite weird for Japanese people. I know some of other Asian countries do the gesture for greeting. However, even we believe same religion Buddhism as other Asian countries, the gesture has a different meaning for each countries. If you want to say "Konnichiwa (Hello) " to Japanese people, please say that with a little nodding.

Aug 19, 2015 10:37 PM

Corrections · 6

how to use a the gesture which is of putting the palms together to Japanese people

Hi, Today I would like to write about the famous gesture.
Some non-Japanese people put their palms together with bowing when they realised I am was Japanese and they wanted to say "Konnichiwa!"

I always told them that it was a wrong inappropriate gesture. Japanese people do the gesture when we are begging, saying sorry or praying to someone/Gods/Buddha.
To Gods and Buddha, it is no problem, but for a real human, you may be looked childish when you are begging someone to for something with this gesture.

Here is a diagrams which I drew. We never do the gesture for greeting! It is quite weird for Japanese people. I know some of other Asian countries do the gesture for greeting. However, even though we believe in same religion, Buddhism, as other Asian countries, the gesture has a different meaning for each country.

If you want to say "Konnichiwa (Hello) " to Japanese people, please say that with a little nodding.