Do you know the traditional and formal way that Japanese people use to apologize and seek forgiveness? In this article, we will talk about the most polite, humble, and formal way to apologize in Japanese, called dogeza.
Dogeza [土下座] is an element of traditional Japanese etiquette that involves kneeling directly on the ground and bowing to prostrate oneself while touching the head to the ground. The word literally means to sit on the ground.
The dogeza is used to show deference to a person of higher status, as a deep apology or to express the desire for a favor from that person.
When do Japanese people use Dogeza?
In Japanese social consciousness, the act of sitting on the ground and prostrating oneself is an uncommon deference used only when someone deviates significantly from daily behavior. Normally, forgiveness is requested only by bowing.
The dogeza is used in extreme cases, such as when a politician commits some theft and publicly apologizes. It is a complete bow, a total prostration so traditional that few use it nowadays.
Let’s say a person has committed a crime and wishes to seek forgiveness. Performing a dogeza does not simply mean asking for forgiveness; it is a way to beg for it, to humble oneself, to show total shame.
The History of Dogeza
One of the earliest records of dogeza can be found in a famous ancient Chinese record of encounters with the Japanese called gishiwajinden [魏志倭人伝], believed to be an ancient Japanese custom.
It was mentioned that the commoners of ancient Yamataikoku, when encountering nobles along the road, would fall prostrate on the spot, clapping their hands as in prayer. The haniwa from the Kofun period can also be seen prostrating in dogeza.
In the early modern period, popularly known as the procession of the daimyō, it is believed that it was mandatory for the commoners present to perform dogeza, but this is incorrect. It was normal for common people to perform dogeza in modern times when being interviewed by superiors.
Even now, as a method of self-protection and apology where damage to one’s image is neglected, the idea of feeling shame remains firmly rooted.
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