As Business Insider reports, President Donald Trump did not bow during his meeting with Japan’s 83-year-old Emperor today. Instead, he tilted his head as a sign of respect, but he refused to stoop as low as President Obama infamously did back in 2009.
And there’s good reason for this! Emperor Akihito became Emperor in 1989, after the death of his father who ordered the 1941 bombing of U.S. naval base in Pearl Harbor. Thousands of Americans lost their lives that day.
Here’s the photo:
While bowing is an important sign of respect in Japan, there is a tradition of American presidents not bowing, as it can be seen as being less powerful. When President Bill Clinton didn’t completely bow and instead bent his hands forward, a White House official opined at the time, “Presidents don’t bow, and Emperors don’t toast.”
Compare Trump’s photo to former President Barack Obama. Isn’t Trump a refreshing change?
As Japan has become more of a hub of international business, handshakes are becoming more common than the traditional bow.
As Andrew Malcolm wrote in the Los Angeles Times back in 2009 about Obama’s bowing in Japan: “How low will he go?” Malcolm noted, “To some in the United States, however, an upright handshake might have looked better. 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.”
Trump, who is 6-foot-4-inches, gave Emperor Akihito, who is 5-foot-4-inches, a firm handshake. That’s what a serious American President looks like.
What do you think about Trump not bowing to the Japanese Emperor? Please leave us a comment (below) and tell us.
