礼法 Reihō - Etiquette

As practised by Ogasawara Ryū

Reihō

Ogasawara Nagakiyo founded Ogasawara-ryū over 850 years ago as a school of archery, mounted archery, and Reihō (etiquette). The Ogasawara family served as instructors to generations of Shoguns in these disciplines.
The strong legs and excellent posture needed to skilfully fire a bow from a galloping horse, are created by incorporating proper etiquette into daily life.
In the Meiji period (1868-1912), reihō styles that ignored the core truths of samurai manners became widespread. This may be why many are under the impression that the etiquette is "rigid and stuffy", but the Ogasawara-ryū reihō is not a set of rules that focus on trivial details.
It is to find beauty in being considerate of the other person, responding flexibly, and eliminating the irrelevant.
Source: Ogasawara website

Standing

OK Ogasawara Kiyomoto, B Beru

OK: Proper standing posture is the most important.
B: Yes.
OK: Let's try it. Stand with the inner sides of your feet parallel. Your ears should be aligned with your shoulders. You have a slightly curved back. To correct this, place your hands against your lower abdomen. And try drawing it in. Your body is then properly aligned over your center of gravity. Once you're able to stand like this, your breathing will become deeper. Deep and natural. This natural breathing rhythm will allow you to perform a smooth bow.
B: I fell my muscles tightening everywhere. It is more tiring than the way I normally stand.
Source: NHK 2026

Bowing

Narrator: Many students attend the training sessions of the Ogasawara school of Reihō.
Instructor: Reihō teaches you the forms that show respect to others. I think this is very important in daily life.
Student: Reihō helps you become aware of proper breathing and body posture. You learn how to adjust and breathe in sync with others. You learn to go with the flow without losing yourself.
OK: There is another crucial aspect to bowing. You have to gauge the right maai between you and that person. In other words, the suitable distance at which to bow.
B: Yes, I see.
OK: First, let's observe the bow betwen people of equal status. They're both students. They took a few steps toward each other to bow.
Now, a bow between people of different status. A teacher and a student. They might seem to far apart. But back in the samurai era, they would be carrying swords. Maintaining a certain distance ensured safety for both parties.
B: So that's why.
OK: Their relationship establishes how far apart they should stand.
B: So the distance of the bow is more important than the angle !
Source: NHK 2026

Sitting down and standing up

OK: We teach students to sit down like a stone sinking in water. And stand up like a column of rising smoke. I'll have a student demonstrate this for you.
When you drop a stone in water, it sinks smoothly and steadily.
Now, stand up. Imagine how smoke rises up when there is no wind. Avoid using momentum and stand up smoothly and steadily.
B: Yes.
OK: Yes. Keep your back straight as you descend. Bend your knees. Don't lean forward. Descend smoothly. Sit on your heels. You are rocking back and forth.
B: It's tricky.
OK: Ty it again, focusing on breathing. Inhale as you sit. Then exhale. And then inhale as you stand up. That was fast.
Narrator: Maintaining proper body alignment, while sitting and standing up slowly and steadily. Synchronizing your movement with natural breathing. It is Reihō this practise again and again to maintain peace of mind.
OK: We keep our back straight as we stand, with our body properly aligned. This is to avoid disturbing the air around us. This would stir up dust or scatter paper. So the way you move isn't just about yourself. It affects everybody sharing your space. So, you habe tobe considerate towards everybody, even strangers.
Source: NHK 2026