POLITE BOWS ORIGINATE FROM THE HEART
Japan is famous for its elegant etiquette. Based on philosophies that reach back more than a thousand years, but still clearly visible in the Japan of today. What is less well-known is that even the Japanese themselves often have trouble making sense out of all the complicated rules. Many receive special lessons at their company, other take courses at schools. To learn how many degrees to bow for whom, how much money you should give at a wedding, or especially important: in what kind of an envelope you should put these (absolutely new) bills.
Many of these manners date from the 12th century and are based on Confucian teachings imported from China. In the Japanese context it became a system in which calm self control in combination with benevolence and sympathy towards others have come to play major roles.
It may well have been based on imports from a foreign land, but almost everything that is related to etiquette in Japan originates from a single source: the Ogasawara Clan. Etiquette and the Ogasawara name are almost synonyms in Japan.
During the reign of famed Emperor Godaigo times were unsettled and good court manners were becoming rare. It was important to get things back in order before chaos would reign and manners fade away. Emperor Godaigo ordered Ogasawara Sadamune, the seventh generation of the clan, to teach Ogasawara etiquette to all samurai and in this way to return order to the court. The Ogasawara teachings now became the teachings of all the samurai. They taught the correct manners for all rites and ceremonies, and for all important moments of life.
The Ogasawara school still exists today and teaches the age-old manners to anyone who is interested and will pay...
Contact us if you would like to carry these photographs.
Click a thumbnail to display the full size image.