Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, dressed in mourning black, bow deeply in prayer on Iwo Jima's Chinkon (Requiem) hill, for all the victims, Japanese and American, of the World War Two battle on the southern island February 12 

President Clinton (R) applauds and bows to Japanese Emperor Akihito after the Emperor 's remarks at the White House welcome ceremony July 13. (flag in bkgnd 

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko bow deeply to an altar dedicated to Japan's 3.1 million killed in World War Two at a ceremony August 15 in Tokyo marking the 49th anniversary of Japan's surrender 

The late Yoshii Kuribayashi, widow of Lieutenant-General Tadamichi Kuribayashi, a Japanese commander at the battle of Iwo Jima which marks its 60th anniversary this year, bows during a Reunion of Honor Memorial Ceremony in this March 14, 1995 picture. An iconic photo ensures that Iwo Jima lives on in America's collective memory, but for many Japanese the bloody island battle is a little remembered step on the path to defeat. American survivors have often recounted tales of the 36-day epic in early 1945 in which nearly 7,000 US Marines and about 21,000 Japanese defenders died. TO ACCOMPANY FEATURE JAPAN-IWOJIMA REUTERS/Eriko Sugita ES/AT 

French President Jacques Chirac bows to Japanese Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama (R) prior to a group photo at the G7 summit in Haliafx June 16 

Former Japanese Labour Minister Toshio Yamaguchi bows at the start of his testifying on financial scandals involving Tokyo Kyowa Credit Association and Anzen Credit Bank at the Lower House budget committee June 17. Yamaguchi resigned as deputy secretary-general of Japan's main opposition New Frontier Psrty after newspapers reported the two credit unions gave huge loans to firms run by his relatives 

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko bow deeply before the Peace Statue at Okinawa Peace Memorial Park August 2 to mourn for the people killed in the bloody battle of Okinawa during Warld War Two. The monarch is visiting the southern island to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. 

Japanese Trade Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows as he is applauded by parliamentarian members of his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) after being named the new head of the LDP, the biggest party in Japan's ruling bloc, at party headquarters in Tokyo September 22 

President Clinton bows in front of the coffin of retired U.S. Navy Admiral Arleigh Burke after speaking during funeral services at the U.S. Naval Academy January 4. Burke, who commanded a destroyer squadron in the Pacific that wreaked havoc on Japanese forces, died January 1. At right, Dr. Patrick C. Ward comforts Burke's widow, Roberta 

Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito (L) and Crown Princess Masako bow after laying flowers before a cenotaph to the victims of the quake which struck the area around Kobe one year ago. The earthquake killed nearly 6,000 people 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows before a cenotaph after laying a flower to the victims of the giant Kobe earthquake last January 17, during a memorial service to mark the first anniversary of the 7.2 Richter-scale quake which killed over 6,000 people 

Japanese Prime Minister and president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Ryutaro Hashimoto bows to voters during a general election campaign in Tokyo October 11. The conservative party, hedging against predictions it will fall short of an outright win, has stepped up its search for coalition partners to form the next government, analysts and legislators said today.

JAPAN ELECTION 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows his head as he is met by high-ranking Vietnamese officials on his arrival at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport on the fourth leg of a five-nation tour of Southeast Asia January 11. Japan is Vietnam's biggest aid donor and main trading partner.

VIETNAM JAPAN 

Silvio Fauner of Italy makes a deep bow in Japanese style before crossing the finish line to win the men's 15-kilometre persuit cross-country race in the World Cup Nordic skiing in Hakuba January 12. Fauner clocked one hour six minutes 22.8 seconds.

SPORT NORDIC SKIING 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows deeply before the altar set at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo for the late Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping during his condolence visit February 20. Deng died late Wednesday. Hashimoto said today he was saddened by the death of Deng.

JAPAN DENG 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows deeply before the altar set at the Chinese Embassy in Tokyo for the late Chinese paramount leader Deng Xiaoping during his condolence visit February 20. Deng died late Wednesday. Hashimoto said today he was saddened by the death of Deng. 

World cup giant slalom leader Michael Von Grunigen of Switzerland smiles as a Japanese fan bows deeply, clutching onto the skiier's handshake, after his practice for the Alpine Ski World Cup in Nagano's Shiga Kogen March 7. The giant slalom race takes place on Saturday.

JAPAN 

Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo bows before the national flags of Japan and Mexico as he reviews the guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo March 11. Zedillo arrived in Japan March 10 for a five-day state visit, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the start of Japanese emigration to Mexico.

JAPAN MEXICO 

German President Roman Herzog bows before the German and Japanese national flags while reviewing the guard of honour in a welcoming ceremony at the Akasaka state guesthouse in Tokyo, April 7. Herzog, who arrived in Japan on April 5, was escorted by Japan's Emperor Akihito to the Imperial Palace for an audience after the formal ceremony.

JAPAN 

German President Roman Herzog bows before the German and Japanese national flags while reviewing the guard of honour in a welcoming ceremony at the Akasaka state guesthouse in Tokyo, April 7. Herzog, who arrived in Japan on April 5, was escorted by Japan's Emperor-Akihito to the Imperial Palace for an audience after the formal ceremony. 

Nomura Securities Chairman and President Masashi Suzuki (L), accompanied by Junichi Ujiie, currently a Nomura managing director and scheduled to replace Suzuki as president on May 1, bow deeply at a news conference in Tokyo April 22. Suzuki said a planned drastic reshuffle in the firm's top management, including his own resignation as president, aims to regain public trust in the Japanese brokerage as part of a drive to recover from a scandal linking the firm to racketeers.

JAPAN NOMURA 

Japanese delegation members from Aichi Presfecture bow to thank BIE (Bureaux International des Expostions) nation members who selected the Japanese city of Seto to host World Expo 2005, June 12. The Japanese city of Seto was selected over top rival Canada which promoted the city of Calgary.

JAPAN EXPO 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto (R) takes a bow after laying a wreath at a monument to the Dutch victims of Japan's Wold War Two occupation of the Dutch East Indies in The Hague, June 25. Hashimoto is in The Netherlands for a one-day official visit to attend the annual summit between the European Union and Japan.

EUROPE JAPAN WREATH 

Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko make a deep bow before an altar for the war dead during a memorial service to mark the 52nd anniversary of the end of World War Two at Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo August 15. ''I pray from the bottom of my heart that the ravages of war will never be repeated,'' Akihito said. 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto (L) bows as he stands next to Chinese counterpart Li Peng during a ceremony to welcome him to China September 4. Hashimoto will spend four days in Beijing and northeastern China as part of events marking the 25th anniversary year of the restoration of diplomatic ties between Japan and China. 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows after laying a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Beijing's Tiananmen Square September 5. The monument commemorates fallen communist revolutionaries. In his meetings with Chinese leaders Hashimoto has sought to sooth Chinese suspicions of the Japan-U.S. military alliance.

CHINA JAPAN 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows after laying a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Beijing's Tiananmen Square September 5. The monument commemorates fallen communist revolutionaries. In his meetings with Chinese leaders Hashimoto has sought to sooth Chinese suspicions of the Japan-U.S. military alliance. 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows as he is re-elected as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at the LDP's parliamentarians meeting in Tokyo September 11. Hashimoto is set to enter his second two-year term as LDP chief October 1, paving the way for a reshuffle of cabinet ministers.

JAPAN 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto makes a deep bow at a news conference at his official residence September 22 to apologize to the public for ''confusion'' caused from having appointed Koko Sato as Management and Coordination Agency Director. Sato tendered his resignation to Hashimoto at a morning meeting after just 11 days on the job.

JAPAN CABINET 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto makes a deep bow at a news conference at his official residence September 22 to apologize to the public for ''confusion'' caused from having appointed Koko-Sato as Management and Coordination Agency Director. -Sato tendered his resignation to Hashimoto at a morning meeting after just 11 days on the job. 

Japanese Buddhist monks bow as they hold up a banner in protest against Japan's new security pact with the United States outside the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo September 24. The pact sets the stage for Japan to challenge its pacifist constitution and play a bigger military role overseas. The banner reads "stop the military cooperation (between) Japan and U.S.

JAPAN USA SECURITY 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows during a wreathlaying ceremony in Krasnoyarsk, November 2. Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Hashimoto, revelling in a new-found friendship, vowed to build closer economic ties but a territorial row still divides them.

RUSSIA JAPAN 

Sanyo Securities Co Ltd's president Takashi Ikeuchi (L) and chairman Shiro Urashima (R) bow in apology after announcing at a news conference, held at the Tokyo Stock Exchange November 3, that they filed for bankruptcy protection from its creditors. Sanyo Securities, one of Japan's most troubled brokerage firms, became the first securities company for a Japanese brokerage firm in the post-war period.

JAPAN SANYO 

Chinese soldiers bow to a bronze head representing the victims of the Nanjing massacre during ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre at the Nanjing Massacre Memorial December 13. Japanese troops captured Nanjing, then China's capital on December 13, 1937, killing an estimated 300,000 civilians and unarmed soldiers according to official Chinese accounts. Japan has been reluctant to acknowledge the scale of atrocities. 

Stock traders exchange bows as the New Year's opening session starts at the Tokyo Stock Exchange January 5. Tokyo stocks shed more than 300 points as market participants remained pessimistic about the future course of the Japanese economy, brokers said. The benchmark Nikkei 225 average closed down 301.90 points or 1.98 percent at 14,956.84. 

Japanese Emperor Akihito bows after reading a declaration opening parliament in Tokyo January 12. Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said during his opening speech to parliament that after seeing that Asia's economic situation was in a far worse state than he had expected, he decided to implement a one-time, two trillion yen ($15.1 billion) tax rebate in Japan from February.

JAPAN ECONOMY PARLIAMENT 

Japanese Emperor Akihito bows after reading a declaration opening parliament in Tokyo January 12. [Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto] said during his opening speech to parliament that after seeing that Asia's economic situation was in a far worse state than he had expected, he decided to implement a one-time, two trillion yen ($15.1 billion) tax rebate in Japan from February. 

Japanese Finance Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka bows at a news conference at the Finance Ministry in Tokyo January 27 after he announced his resignation for a bribery scandal involving ministry inspectors. Mitsuzuka told reporters after talks with Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto that he would hand in his resignation to the premier on Wednesday.

JAPAN SCANDAL 

Japanese Finance Minister Hikaru Matsunaga bows during a news conference in Tokyo March 5, after Japanese prosecutors arrested two top Finance Ministry officials taking a broad probe of alleged bribery into the highest reaches of Japan's elite. Matsunaga said he would take strict measures against the arrested officials and also against their supervisors after seeing results of prosecutors' investigations.

JAPAN SCANDAL 

U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin (R) bows to his Japanese counterpart Hikaru Matsunaga following a meeting in London May 8. The ministers are in the capital ahead of the G8 Finance Ministers meeting starting tomorrow.

DM/CLH/ 

Japanese Emperor Akihito bows after laying a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Westminster Abbey, London May 26. The Emperor's visit has sparked controversy among former Japanese Prisoners of War who are demanding an apology and compensation for the treatment they received at the hands of the Japanese during World War Two.

SR/AA 

Japanese players bow to the crowd after their 2-1 loss to Jamaica in Lyon June 26. Japan and Jamaica both failed to qualify for the next round which will include Croatia and Argentina.

KC/KM 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto makes a deep bow to voters for their support above a campaign poster of himself on a stumping tour for the upcoming Upper House elections in Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo July 2. Hashimoto is due to attend a meeting later in the day on a "bridge bank" system which Japan plans to establish to wind up failed banks.

ES/JO/ME 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto bows before officials of government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party as he starts a meeting on a plan to tackle Japan's bad loan crisis, at the premier's official residence in Tokyo July 2. The Japanese government formally approved a plan to set up a "bridge bank" system that would wind up failed banks without hurting creditors judged to be relatively sound. At left is Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanezo Muraoka.

ES/JO/AA 

Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto makes a deep bow to voters for their support above a campaign poster of himself on a stumping tour for the upcoming Upper House elections in Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo July 2. [Hashimoto is due to attend a meeting later in the day on a "bridge bank" system which Japan plans to establish to wind up failed banks. ] 

Japan's ambassador to Hanoi, Katsunari Suzuki, bows as he shakes the hand of Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai (L) in Hanoi July 7. Khai had just addressed a conference for foreign oil and gas companies and foreign diplomats and had pledged to create a new investment climate in the energy sector. Foreign oil and gas firms in Vietnam have complained of cumbersome bureaucracy, punitive taxes and some of the toughest investment terms in the world.

AJS/TAN/SB 

Tokyo residents bow as they enter a shrine set up as a polling station for the Upper House elections July 12. Japanese citizens went to the polls in high numbers during early voting for the election crucial for Japan's economic recovery and the future of beleaguered Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto.

ES/JDP/ME 

Japanese Emperor Akihito (R) and Empress Michiko bow to offer prayers for peace and condolences for war dead at a memorial service held in Tokyo to mark the 53rd anniversary of the end of World War II August 15. Japan's new Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi also marked the 53rd anniversary of the end of the war on Saturday by expressing "deep remorse" for victims of Japanese militarism.

KM/KK/FMS 

Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi bows to offer condolences for the war dead as Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko look on at a memorial service held in Tokyo August 15 to mark the 53rd anniversary of the end of World War II. Obuchi said he felt "deep remorse" for the victims of Japanese militarism.

KM/KK 

Japanese Emperor Akihito (R) and Empress Michiko bow to offer prayers for peace and condolences for war dead at a memorial service held in Tokyo to mark the 53rd anniversary of the end of World War II August 15. [Japan's new Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi also marked the 53rd anniversary of the end of the war on Saturday by expressing "deep remorse" for victims of Japanese militarism. ] 

Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi bows to offer condolences for the war dead as Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko look on at a memorial service held in Tokyo August 15 to mark the 53rd anniversary of the end of World War II. [Obuchi said he felt "deep remorse" for the victims of Japanese militarism. ] 

Japan's Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, flanked by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka, makes a deep bow as he thanks business and labour leaders for coming to the premier's official residence in Tokyo September 25 for the first meeting to discuss Japan's worsening employment situation. The conference includes three cabinet ministers, Japan's Federation of Employers' Associations, and the Japanese Trade Union Federation (Rengo), who hopes to tackle Japan's worsening employment situation. Japan's unemployment rate climed to an all-time high of 4.3 percent in June.

ES/FY/WS 

Japan's Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi bows to the Lower House of parliament after the Japanese Diet approved bills allowing the government to pump public money into weak banks October 13. The measures, expected to be fully enacted by the ruling and two opposition parties by Friday, seek to strengthen viable banks weighed down by bad loans.

ES/CC 

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah (L) gestures as Japan Federation of Employers' Associations Chairman Jiro Nemoto bows to him upon delivering a welcoming speech at a luncheon hosted by Japanese business leaders in Tokyo October 22. Abdullah is in Japan on a three-day visit as part of a world tour.

ES/JIR 

Disney Company Chief Executive Officer Michael Eisner makes a deep bow at an altar as a Japanese Shinto priest looks on at a formal Shinto groundbreaking ceremony for a new Tokyo Disney Sea theme park project in Maihama, east of Tokyo October 22. Disney and Oriental Land are constructing a new theme park on the shores of Tokyo Bay, due to open in autumn 2001. Company executives said they were optimistic about the project despite recent economic woes in Japan and the rest of Asia.

ES/CC/WS 

Japanese electronics maker NEC Corp Chairman Tadahiro Sekimoto (L) and President Hisashi Kaneko bow deeply at the conclusion of a news conference at NEC headquarters in Tokyo October 23. NEC said Sekimoto resigned, effective immediately, from his post over a contract-padding scandal. Sekimoto will become an adviser to the company.

TA/JIR 

A war veteran lays a wreath and bows, as a boy scout stands nearby, during a ceremony to commemorate those who died in the defence of Hong Kong during World War Two October 28. The guerillas from the Dongjiang Column killed who were killed while fighting Japanese troops in Hong Kong between 1941 and 1945 were among those remembered at the ceremony. This was the first time that members of the battalion who died in their struggle were officially remembered.

LC/JJ/JDP 

Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi bows as he pays tribute to Japanese prisoners of war who died in Russia after World War Two, during his visit to Lyublinskoye cemetery November 12. President Boris Yeltsin on Thursday invited Japan to help develop the economy of four North Pacific islands which still stand in the way of a bilateral peace treaty ending World War Two hostilities.

CVI/WS 

Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi bows to the press at the end of a news conference following the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders summit November 18. Obuchi accepted Japan's responsibility to help boost Asia's growth.

BM/JO/KM 

U.S. President Bill Clinton (R) returns a Japanese-style bow as he is welcomed by Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura (L) upon arrival at Tokyo's Haneda airport November 19. Clinton flew in for a two-day official visit during which he hopes to spur the world's second-largest economy to take swifter action to end its recession.

ES/JO/ME