Another norm that ensures their politeness is their greeting. We found that Japanese at Gateway bow other people and say hi. Even they finished the meal at a restaurant. They also bow the cashier standing in front of the door. We think that this bowing may extend the word of “Thank you” . However, what we saw was surprise us. In A group of Japanese, A youngest man with dark suit bow everyone in his group with the most respect he can offer. Then others accept his bow modestly. The point is- His bowing is very low and long. He bows for 3 times. These behavior remind us of what Thais act : wai . The lower and longer of Wai is , The more respect we have for that person. Bow is like that too.
However, we did not see a sign of any physical contact such as a hug and kiss in a group of Japanese. They did not stand closed to each other. They are very low contact cultures. We discuss in a group of what we saw. We think that those Japanese might not feel comfortable to be touch, especially physical contact. To keep the politeness is considered essence of what it means to be Japan.