Bowing vs shaking hands

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I HATE having my hands touched, and I think touching someone when you first meet them as a greeting is very weird and creepy (I know WHY this custom started, but people don't go around with swords nowadays). I would much rather live in a society in which it is polite to bow rather than shake hands. When I first started learning about Japanese culture in 5th grade, I decided that bowing was a wonderful idea and for years refused to shake hands and would bow instead. Even now I will sometimes purposefully hold things in each hand when meeting new people to make shaking hands impossible so I can bow to them instead.

Does anyone point out that the bowing is odd or is it not? Considering this.

When I was a kid it was just, oh she likes Japan humor her. Now it might seem odd but I feel more comfortable doing it.

I'd prefer bowing, but mostly because it's a lot simpler and easier than hand shaking. I don't mind touching, but I'm sort of clumsy.;;
And actually, I think the bowing thing might be creeping veeeery slowly to the west. Or at least a head motion similar to bowing.

I would prefer bowing. I make myself shake hands but I don't like it. I feel like I should wash my hand before and after.

I don't mind shaking hands, but I think I would prefer bowing. In fact, when I see someone I know I usually nod my head down in a kind of head-bow. Sometimes I get the head-bow back, which I think is cool.

Hmm, I'm gonna bow from now on and say something Japanese. Seems like a good way out without offending the NT.

I'm not keen on either.....both are too cold and formal for me, and handshaking is probably a good way to spread bacteria and viruses around (I used to have a few warts on my hands, and didn't want to pass them on).

One greeting I quite like is to grasp the other person's upper arm for a moment, though I reserve it for fellow left-wingers when I know them reasonably well.

No problem with shaking hands...

It would be weird if I bowed to someone upon greeting them; I would feel obligated to say onegaishimasu and bow again upon farewell, saying arigatou. (12 years of Karate-dou can do that to you.)

What would you say to live in France where shaking hands has been replaced a long time ago by kissings cheeks?
Even if you don't know the persons, even if you don't want to - or else you have to feel so unpolite by not showing friendly enough?

I liked shaking hands: you can learn a lot by that quick touch, it's polite and it's neutral.
(But also, on the opposite of you, I have no personal issues on that.)

I hate, hate, hate shaking hands. Particularly in the office, where it becomes a power struggle. I really thought this pandemic flu would put an end to shaking hands, but the word is that "shaking hands and hugs improve your immune system" - ack!

Even though I don't like shaking hands, I would find bowing too odd for me. So, I voted "I am fine by shaking hands."

Most of the time I'm fine with shaking hands, but I'm getting back into square dancing and it's ridiculous! They shake hands when you get there, after each tip and when you leave. Totally unnecessary.

Upward nodding combined with lifting eyebrows..

Yeah. That's what people do in real life, at least in my experience. I've noticed that people mostly just shake hands in business situations, and even then, only the men. People look taken aback if I offer a handshake when I meet them, so I usually don't bother and neither do they.