Japanese tour guides are being put through their paces in an intensive 20-day bowing boot camp to make sure their inclinations are perfect ahead of the 2025 World Expo hosted in Osaka.

The organisers of the six-month extravaganza of global culture are aiming to train around 1,000 guides to greet, assist and provide directions to an anticipated 28 million visitors.

The expo is scheduled to open on April 13 in Japan’s second city.

A key element of the guide’s job description will be executing flawless bows appropriate for a number of scenarios, with trainees being put through their paces by etiquette experts from Tsp Taiyo Inc, a Tokyo-based event planning company.

Guides are expected to master a minimum of three bows that are a mark of deference and respect in Japanese society: greeting, gratitude and apology.