A 64-year-old Japanese man who works at the water bureau in Kobe has made a grave error. He left his desk for a break three minutes early so that he could buy a bento box for lunch. In fact, over a period of seven months, he boldly repeated this offense 26 times.
Once word got out, he was shamed for his dishonorable work ethics. He was forced to bow an apology on a televised news conference, after those who ran the conference called his deplorable actions "deeply regrettable."
Of course his lost minutes were calculated and deducted from his pay.
When asked why he would do such a disrespectful thing as to leave 3 minutes early, he said he needed a "change of pace."
In case you are in Japan and make a faux pas as serious as missing an appointment by 3 minutes, or if you commit some other rude act like accidentally bumping into someone, or saying a wrong word in Japanese that is actually something crude, here is a video that teaches you the many different forms of apology bows, depending on the level of shame you've inflicted upon yourself. Keep in line!
Read the full story on The Guardian
Image: Akuppa John Wigham – The Bow, CC BY 2.0, Link
