Things Japanese/Salutations

by by Basil Hall Chamberlain

 

Salutations. The only native Japanese salutation is the bow, which often amounts to a prostration wherein the forehead touches the ground. Hand-shaking was unknown till a few years ago, and is little practised even now,—a proof of Japanese good sense, especially in hot weather. As for kissing, that is tabooed as utterly immodest and revolting.