page_title: Bowing in Japan
section_title: Funerals
hierarchical_section_title: Bowing in Japan / In various activities / Funerals
caption_attribution_description: 炉前告別ホール　土居斎苑(四国中央市） ～photo by Autumn Snake 【おぉたむ　すねィく探検隊】
context_page_description: Bowing in Japan is the act of lowering one's head or the upper part of the torso, commonly used as a sign of salutation, reverence, apology or gratitude in social or religious situations.
  Historically, ojigi was closely affiliated with the samurai. The rise of the warrior class in the Kamakura period led to the formations of many well-disciplined manuals on warrior etiquette, which contained instructions on proper ways to bow for the samurai. The Japanese word お辞儀 was derived from the homophone お時宜, which originally meant "the opportune timing to do something". It did not start to specifically denote the act of bowing in the contemporary sense until late Edo period, when samurai bowing etiquette had spread to the common populace. Nowadays, the ojigi customs based on the doctrines of the Ogasawara School of warrior etiquette—which was founded some 800 years ago—is the most prevalent in society.
  In modern-day Japan, bowing is a fundamental part of social etiquette which is both derivative and representative of Japanese culture, emphasizing respect and social ranks.
context_section_description: In a traditional Buddhist funeral in Japan, it is customary for the guests to mourn the deceased by burning powdered incense (お焼香, O-shōkō), once during the wake (通夜, Tsuya) and later again during the farewell ceremony (告別式, Kokubetsu-shiki). Although different variations of the ritual exist, the version involving ritsurei (standing bows) is the most prevalent in modern society.
  First of all, immediate relatives of the deceased will perform a formal bow to the Buddhist monks, who are hired to chant the religious sutra, and all the other guests to thank them for their attendance. Then, they will one by one walk up to the incense burning station (焼香台, Shōkō-dai) near the coffin to pay respect and bid farewell to the deceased. Ordinary guests will either follow them or, in other cases, line up to visit a separate incense burning station slightly further away. All mourners should perform a deep bow to the portrait of the deceased with their palms held together in the Buddhist fashion. Next, they should pinch some powdered incense (抹香, Makkō) from the container with their right hands, raise it up to their foreheads and humbly drop it into the incense burners. Such process can be repeated up to three times depending on the religious customs of the region. Last but not least, it is also essential that the ordinary guests bow to the mourning family before and after the incense burning procedure to show their condolences.
caption: Guests paying respect to the deceased at a Japanese funeral
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