お辞儀
おじぎ
ojigi
= the Japanese bow; a gesture of greeting, gratitude, or apology performed by bending forward at the waist
お辞儀 is Japan’s most universally recognized social gesture — a forward bend of the torso that communicates everything from a casual hello to a profound apology without a single word. Unlike a handshake or a wave, お辞儀 encodes the entire social relationship between two people in a single, precise angle.
お辞儀 refers to the act of bowing as a form of nonverbal communication in Japanese society. It serves three primary functions: greeting (aisatsu), expressing gratitude (kansha), and offering an apology (owabi). The depth of the bow signals the degree of respect or sincerity intended.
There are three standard angles. A eshaku (会釈) is a shallow bow of about 15 degrees, used for passing acknowledgments in hallways or brief thank-yous among equals. A keirei (敬礼) is a 30-degree bow — the most common in business and daily life — used when greeting customers, teachers, or superiors. A saikeirei (最敬礼) is a deep 45-degree bow reserved for the highest levels of respect or sincere apology, such as addressing executives or expressing serious remorse.
お辞儀 can be performed standing (tachi rei) or seated on tatami (za rei), and the context determines which is appropriate. In formal settings, the back is kept straight and the bend comes from the hips, not the neck.
Knowing which bow to use prevents awkward or unintended signals. Use a 会釈 (15°) for brief corridor acknowledgments or when someone holds a door for you — going deeper here can feel stiff. Use a 敬礼 (30°) as your default bow in business meetings, at shop counters, or when thanking someone sincerely. Reserve 最敬礼 (45°) for formal apologies, meeting very senior people, or ceremonial occasions.
When meeting foreigners, some Japanese people may extend a hand for a handshake. Attempting both simultaneously — a “bow-shake” — is common but can feel awkward; follow the other person’s lead rather than initiating both at once.
In business contexts, a common mistake is to break eye contact too soon or to bow and immediately straighten up. A bow held briefly at its lowest point communicates more sincerity than a quick dip. Also, repeatedly bowing back and forth with someone (the so-called “bow battle”) is natural — it is not necessary to end it abruptly.
The word お辞儀 is written with the honorific prefix o (お), which elevates the register of the word, followed by two kanji. 辞 (ji) carries the meaning of “words” or “expression” — seen also in 辞書 (jisho, dictionary) and 辞退 (jitai, to decline). 儀 (gi) means “ceremony,” “rite,” or “proper conduct” — appearing in words like 儀式 (gishiki, ritual) and 礼儀 (reigi, etiquette). Together, 辞儀 conveys the idea of expressing oneself through proper ceremonial form, and the prefix お makes the whole phrase polite and suitable for any social context.
Everyday use
彼女は店員に深くお辞儀をして、丁寧に礼を言った。
Kanojo wa ten’in ni fukaku ojigi o shite, teinei ni rei o itta.
She bowed deeply to the store clerk and thanked them politely.
Casual / Social Media
推しがステージでお辞儀したとき、会場が一気に盛り上がった。
Oshi ga sutēji de ojigi shita toki, kaijō ga ikki ni moriagatta.
When my favorite performer bowed on stage, the whole venue erupted.
Formal / Cultural context
部長は取引先の担当者に対して、丁寧に敬礼のお辞儀をした。
Buchō wa torihikisaki no tantōsha ni taishite, teinei ni keirei no ojigi o shita.
The department manager gave a respectful 30-degree bow to the client’s representative.
お辞儀 is not merely a greeting ritual — it is the physical language of Japanese social hierarchy. Because Japanese society has historically placed great emphasis on recognizing one’s position relative to others (tate shakai), the bow became a precise instrument for expressing that awareness. The angle, duration, and timing of a bow communicate a speaker’s understanding of the social relationship more clearly than words alone could. In a business setting, juniors are expected to bow lower and longer than their seniors, and the failure to do so is noticed immediately.
The distinction between standing bows and seated bows (za rei) reflects Japan’s architectural and cultural history. Before chairs became widespread, formal interactions took place on tatami floors, and the seated bow — where one places both hands flat on the floor and lowers the forehead toward them — remains in use today in traditional contexts such as tea ceremony (sadō), martial arts dojos, and some formal dining settings. Even in modern offices, the seated bow appears when someone enters a traditional Japanese-style meeting room.
Apology bows occupy a particular cultural weight in Japan. A sincere お辞儀 during an apology — especially a prolonged 45-degree saikeirei — is considered more meaningful than a verbal apology alone. This is why public apologies by corporate executives or public figures in Japan are almost always accompanied by a deep, sustained bow, often held for several seconds before the cameras. The physical act of lowering one’s head is understood as a tangible surrender of pride, making the apology visible and embodied rather than merely spoken.