Bow to Where?

Here comes again. A middle-aged woman at a coffee shop counter bowed deeply enough to bend her body to almost 60 degrees just after she gave me a change. As I heard the synchronized utterance “arigato gozaimashita (thank you sir or madam )”, I felt slightly insulted. I only bought a cup of coffee that costs \230 – $ 3 or less – with an intention to sit at a table for a couple of hours using PC while drinking more glasses of water than coffee. I did not deserve the politeness she had shown at all. Still I had no other choice than see her go on attending the next customers in the same way.

This is not an isolated case. A manager of Kentucky Fried Chicken – maybe in his fifties - ran to open the door for me as I left the store where I had ordered the cheapest combo and stayed for an hour. Just for your information, I was in torn jeans and shaggy T-shirt without any makeup so there was no way my appearance attracted him. As I saw him bow deep and heard him exclaim “arigato gozaimashita. mata okoshi kudasai” (thank you for coming and we are looking forward to your next visit), I said to myself oh man… With strakes of silver hair on his head and wrinkles around his eyes, he was surely senior to me. He offered submissive hospitality with a manner in which a slave would show his master. Did he think that were I not satisfied with his service, I would whip him?  I was just one first food restaurant customer and wanted to be treated likewise.

While I was away from Japan, cashers at Daiso -Japanese one dollar shop - - started greeting to customers with a deep 60 degree bow. What makes it more hopeless is their hands placed gently together on their lower chest. This bow is the politest form and should be shown at a fancy hotel or an expensive restaurant. Can you imagine how embarrassed I am when I just buy a hundred-yen item? I do not need to feel like a billionaire at Daiso.

It seems that every each one in the service industry thinks the more they are polite the more they can attract customers. This pathetic competition for politeness has been under way for more than a decade. Probably it reached its peak while I was in the US.  That is why I feel uneasy with the changes while other people in Japan take the excessive display for granted. Giving that, too much is too much. Uncomfortable chills run when I encounter an over-killing service. Their attitude and the choice of words are supposed to show the maximum hospitality and gratitude. It is irritating that people are no more aware of the meaning of the gestures and just follow the established routine. Then the ritual becomes empty. Meaningless remarks and smiles reached the level of disgusting. It makes me wonder where this futile rat race is heading.

It is not only for politeness. In Japan, many aimless hardworking are heated around a minor issue in a closed market. I hope that people are not sharpening their competitive edge only to injure themselves.