koutou (English spelling) kou-tou; k`ou-t`ou

Japanese: 叩頭 - こうとう（英語表記）kou-tou; k`ou-t`ou

A form of Chinese etiquette. It involves kneeling, placing both hands on the ground, and touching the head to the ground, and is primarily used by vassals when meeting the emperor. It was also performed in the Ming dynasty, but in the Qing dynasty, the custom of kneeling once and then touching the head to the ground three times became common. From the mid-Qing dynasty onwards, this custom was also required for foreign envoys to meet with the emperor. When British ambassador G. Macartney visited Beijing in 1793, he was initially asked to do this but refused, but Emperor Qianlong, recognizing Macartney's polite attitude, excused him and allowed him to meet with the emperor. During the Jiaqing dynasty, British ambassador W. Amherst refused and left, and this custom often developed into a diplomatic issue.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

中国の礼の形式。ひざまずいて両手を地につけ，頭を地につける礼で，主として皇帝に謁見するときの臣下の礼。明朝でも行われたが，清朝では1度ひざまずくと3度頭を地につけ，これを3回繰返す三跪九叩 (さんききゅうこう) が通常行われるようになった。清朝中期以後の外国の使臣の謁見にもこれが強要され，乾隆 58 (1793) 年に北京を訪問したイギリス大使 G.マッカートニーは，初めこの礼を要求されたが拒否し，乾隆帝がマッカートニーの礼節ある態度を認めて特にこれを免じて謁見させた。嘉慶朝ではイギリス大使 W.アマーストがこれを拒否して退去するなど，しばしば外交問題にまで発展した。

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