Japanese Greetings and Bowing: A Travelers Guide to Greeting on the Street

Greeting the locals! 

Four every day Japanese greetings, and a brief guide to the nuances of greetings in Japan!

Picture yourself walking through a serene mountain village in rural Japan. The locals on the street pass by with a warm smile and a friendly greeting. Would you know how to respond?

For visitors, mastering these simple phrases goes beyond politeness—it opens doors to meaningful interactions and unforgettable experiences. And understanding Japanese social etiquette for travelers. 

In Japan's bustling cities, it's common to pass by countless people without exchanging a word. But in smaller towns, rural villages, or wile hiking scenic trails a simple greeting can go a long way. Greeting others helps foster a warm and trusting atmosphere that's deeply rooted in Japan's culture of community.

You would think like this of your own hometown as well, right?

 

Why Greet?

A warm atmosphere within a small town creates trust and opens communication among neighbors. This is important because if there was ever a problem or a crisis in your home, your neighbors would be the first to respond. Even if the person within the town is further away, there is still something one can do for their neighbor no matter what the issue is.

In Japan's close-knit areas, neighbors often view one another as extended family. Whether it's offering a helping hand in a crisis or simply sharing a kind word on the street, these small gestures create a sense of connection and mutual respect.

Japanese Greetings; "Aisatsu"

A Japanese greeting or aisatsu (挨拶) in Japanese, is one of the attributes of "reigi" (礼儀) which means manners, etiquette, or courtesy. Aisatsu is the way people in Japan say hello to each other.

 
When train staff enter a different car, they bow to the passengers. Even if they are not there. It is a sign of respect. You will see athletes do it when they enter and exit a dojo. Or when people pass by each other on a evening stroll. It’s everywhere.

 
It is taught to everyone from a very young age. It shows respect and politeness. It builds community and relationships. It sets the tone for the interaction and shows the hierarchy of society. It is so important that teachers and students often practice this in the morning, as students arrive at school, and after school, as students leave for the day.

 
This article will teach the basics. There are the spoken and unspoken ways to give greetings to someone. Let's go over some of them.

Ojigi the Way of the Bow

Ojigi (お辞儀) is what people in Japan call bowing. It is one of those practices that people do not really know where it comes from. However some believe that it was imported from Buddhism.

 
The ruling samurai class adopted the practice into bushido, the way of the samurai. One story about the bow's origin claims that the samurai would bow their heads and show their necks as a sign to the other to cut their necks in humility.

There are three main bows in Japan. Let's go over them.

Eshaku

The "eshaku" is more like a head tilt forward and a slight movement of the upper torso forward to about fifteen degrees. This is an informal bow. People use it when they meet friends, colleagues outside of the professional setting, and to their juniors. 

In this article, we will focus on the proper way to bow using the eshaku. Because this is the bow that requires little effort to perform while walking. You can perform the casual bow in tandem with a Japanese greeting, or you can use it as a stand-alone gesture. Think of the casual bow like a wave of the hand in saying hello to a person.

Keirei

The formal bow called "keirei." It is a straightening of the body and a forward movement of the upper torso by about thirty degrees. People use it when greeting customers, professional seniors, and people of authority. This is also the bow people use in a business setting.

Saikeirei

The most formal bow called the "saikeirei." This bow is between forty-five degrees and a full ninety. This bow is used to apologize for big mistakes. Every once in a while you will see this bow on TV when someone famous is caught doing something they shouldn't be doing. 

This bow is also the gratitude bow. When a person express deep gratitude. They will hold the bow for a few seconds depending on how grateful they are. You might see this bow when you buy something expensive. The staff will walk you to the door of the establishment hand you your bag, and bow to you until you are out of sight. 

Don't be too worried if your bow is perfect. How to bow in Japan is something practiced from a young age. The effort here is the most important. 

A Note on the Eshaku Bow:

In some situations you can bow your head instead of the whole body if it is not possible to do the bow with your body. Maybe you're pushing a stroller or carrying something heavy. It's all good. Most of the time the person you are greeting will understand.

In some of the rural villages the road you walk on will be shared with cars. Especially if you are walking through a neighborhood. If this is the case pay attention to the driver of the car. You might see them bow their head. In this case you can return the gesture with an eshaku. 

In other possible scenarios, they might stop and roll down their window to thank you, if you moved out of their way for example. If this happens a simple eshaku would do the trick.

The same goes for people on bikes. Be careful out there!

Four Different Greetings in Japanese - How to say hello in Japanese for tourists.

1. Ohayo-gozaimasu (おはようございます) - This is "good morning" in Japanese. This phrase follows the same timing as English. Use it until noon. But you might hear this phrase used by Japanese people all day, in different forms. The reason behind this is the “gozaimasu” at the end of the word. It expresses politeness, humility, and gratitude. It is often used in formal settings. So, as a general unwritten practice, ohayo-gozaimasu is the go-to. Other informal forms include the following:

• Masu

• Ozasu

• Ozamasu

• Ohayo (informal)

• Zassu (also, informal thank you)

Try not to use the informal forms on people you don’t know, and especially people who are older than you. The key to this greeting is to show humility and politeness. A fun fact about "ohayo-gozaimasu": its literal translation is "We are up early!" or "It's early!"

2. Konnichiwa (こんにちは) - This is hello or good afternoon in Japanese. It is among one of the most common phrases in Japan. This has a time frame like that of English in the formal sense. But, the way people use it is different. People use it outside during the day. It is not an informal word. However, it feels like one to a lot of people. There are no sentence-ending particles like "masu" or "desu." Other informal forms include the following:

• Kon-cha

• Chaa

• Chiiwa

The informal forms of konnichiwa are often used by athletes or kids in school clubs. It is also used by kohai (juniors) when greeting their senpai (seniors). A fun fact about konnichiwa is that the literal translation of the word is equal to asking "This day is?” or “How is this day?”

3. Konbanwa (こんばんは) - This is good evening. It follows the same convention in timing as English. Yet, among the three formal greetings, people use it the least. The literal translation of the word is “This evening is?” or “How is this evening?”

4. Domo (どうも) - Domo means hello and thank you all in one. You can also use it to express surprise. The expression is often said after saying “hai” (はい) or saying the word twice in a row. 

Another similar expression to domo is sumimassen which means excuse me, sorry, and thank you. However the difference is the formality. Domo on its own feels more casual, while sumimassen is the best way to be polite in a pinch.

Additionally, domo is also used as a politeness enhancer when saying thank you. For example, you might hear "domo-arigatou-gozaimasu." No, these are not Mr. Roboto lyrics. It should go without saying that a book can be written about the word domo.

But for our purposes it can be a hello.

The Steps

Step One: Acknowledge

Within the visual range of the person, the range in which their face becomes clear. You might look at each other in anticipation of passing each other by. Take this opportunity to acknowledge the other person's existence with an eshaku bow and a smile. This initial bow removes any awkwardness, and it gauges the other person. If the eshaku is difficult, you may nod or bow your head.

There are two possible outcomes from this situation. First, they will nod and bow as well. This is a signal to use a verbal greeting when you pass by them.

The second outcome is that they do not return the gesture from afar. In this case, you do not have to initiate a verbal greeting when you come closer. They might say hello to you as they pass-by. If this is the case you can return the greeting.

From afar, you may look away and continue the approach without worrying about what to do. Because the first step is done.

Step Two: Greet

As you approach closer and come into audio range, look towards the person again. The other person may be on the same page as you, and initiate a greeting. If they meet your gaze, you may greet them, depending on the time of day. They will likely return the greeting, or they may bow their heads or nod.

If you don't get a response.

If they don’t return the gesture, don’t worry about it. Give them the benefit of the doubt. There can be a whole list of reasons they may not have returned the gesture. The most common reason could be that they are surprised to hear a tourist greet them in Japanese. And by the time they realized, they could have missed their chance to return the gesture.

No matter the situation, greeting with a smile is a charity. Also, you did what was acceptable. So, you need not worry about the interaction. Finally, this is how we create the feeling of community. Even as internationals visiting. 

We hope these Japan travel and cultural tips helped you understand these common Japanese customs for travel. If you have any specific questions please leave a comment!