AboutTim Clark Expertise I can answer questions about Japanese religion, specifically, Shinto, its history and practice. I can also answer questions about Japanese mythology relating the the Kami, and more precisely their relation to the ancient books Nihon-Shouki and Kojiki.
Experience I have studied the Japanese Cosmology of creation stories from the Nihon-Shouki and Kojiki for several years, and additionally I lived and worked for at the only Japanese Shinto shrine in the US, as an assistant to the Priest.
Education/Credentials Currently enrolled in a BA program of Education at University of South Florida.
Awards and Honors 2 Year Scholarship to Bevill State College for 1st Place in state-wide World History test, 2003.
Question i have a project on a custom of japan and i am doing bowing. i would like to know when and where did bowing originate? please
Answer Well, you asked the right person, because almost every Japanese mannerism before buddhism comes from Shinto, and that is my expertise. Of course there is no exact date we can trace it to, bowing (called Ojigi in Japanese) originated when people would pay repsect to small shrines or stones representing the Kami, or spirits/gods/ etc. possibly in the Jomon period, several thousand years B.C., but an exact time cannot be determined as there were no written records at that time. Throughout History after the Jomon, Ojigi continued to evolve on many levels to express politeness to the Kami as well as people and in various social situations. For example, today when you visit a Shinto shrine, at the beginning and end of your visit you begin by bowing twice deeply, about 80 degrees, then clapping your hands twice, followed by one final deep bow.
In social situation, when you meet someone for the first time, the level of bowing and number vary with the person you are meeting, such as their age or importance, sometime it is a small short bow, and sometimes it is much longer, it depends on how polite you are trying to be. There are also other formal rules for bowing such as at a tea ceremony (sadou) and other things.
I hope this helps! Email me again if you need anything else!
