is an element of traditional

Japanese etiquette Etiquette in Japan forms common societal expectations of social behavior practiced throughout the nation of Japan. The etiquette of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia as different civilizations influenced its culture. Modern Japanese et ...

which involves kneeling directly on the ground and bowing to prostrate oneself while touching one's head to the floor.Leaman, Olive
''Friendship East and West: philosophical perspectives''
p. 74 It is used to show deference to a person of higher status, as a deep apology or to express the desire for a favor from said person. The term is used in Japanese politics such as which is translated to "kowtow diplomacy" or "kowtow foreign policy".Drifte, Reinhard (2003
''Japan's security relations with China since 1989: from balancing to bandwagoning?''
Routledge, p.7 In general, dogeza is translated into English as "

prostration Prostration is the gesture of placing one's body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee, especial ...

" or " kowtow".

The meaning of performing dogeza

In the Japanese social consciousness, the act of sitting on the ground and creating a scene (dogeza), is an uncommon deference only used when one is deviating greatly from daily behavior. It is seen as part of etiquette and filled with the feeling of being sorry about troubling the other person. By performing dogeza and apologizing to someone, usually the other person would have a tendency to forgive.

History

In the '' Gishiwajinden'' (魏志倭人伝), the oldest Chinese record of encounters with the Japanese, it was mentioned that commoners of the ancient

Yamataikoku Yamatai or Yamatai-koku is the Sino-Japanese name of an ancient country in Wa (Japan) during the late Yayoi period The Chinese text ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' first recorded the name as () or (; using reconstructed Middle Chinese p ...

would, upon meeting noblemen along the road, fall prostrate on the spot, clapping their hands as in prayer (柏手 read: kashiwade), and this is believed to be an old Japanese custom. The

haniwa The are terracotta clay figures that were made for ritual use and buried with the dead as funerary objects during the Kofun period (3rd to 6th centuries AD) of the history of Japan. ''Haniwa'' were created according to the ''wazumi'' techniq ...

of the

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

can be seen prostrating themselves in dogeza. In the early modern period, popularly as the ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominall ...

''s procession passed by, it is believed that it was mandatory for the commoners present to perform dogeza, but that is incorrect. It was normal for common people to perform dogeza in modern times when being interviewed by higher-ups. Even now, as a method of self-protection and apology in which damage to one's image is neglected, its idea of feeling shame remains firmly rooted.

References

{{reflist, 2 Japanese culture Human positions Gestures of respect Kneeling

The meaning of performing dogeza

History

See also

References