In my Japanese class we learned about bowing and how they don’t believe in being abrupt. So everything they do is gradual, even leaving where the bow never stops and rather just decreases as they inch away from one another. Is this the same as in western nations (America mainly)? Like, in order to start a convo you need to perform a set of actions before you can even get a word out? If so, what are those actions? Is it really as simple as eye contact and a smile?
Keep in mind I believe the bow and the handshake is like a second greeting, like confirmation that you are entering a convo with this person. And the goodbye is agreement that the convo is over. So, how do you initiate it? Body language? An “excuse me?” What is the first greeting? That’s what I’m missing and can’t wrap my head around.