Department Store Employees Bow to Empty Elevators
In upscale Japanese department stores, it’s not unusual to see staff bowing to elevators—even when no one is inside. As soon as the doors close, they offer a deep, polite bow as if saying goodbye to an honored guest.
To outsiders, it can seem puzzling or overly formal. Why show respect to a machine or an empty space? But in Japan, it’s about maintaining dignity and ritual at all times.
These gestures aren’t meant for an audience—they’re part of a broader cultural mindset that values discipline, respect, and consistency, no matter who’s watching.