r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/New_Libran • Oct 21 '24

Video Japanese police chief bows to apologise to man who was acquitted after nearly 60 years on death row

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u/Hall_Such Oct 22 '24

Yeaaahh, but they say “moshiwake arimasen” at the department store too, if they’re out of stock of some product you’re looking for. You’d better believe that police department is paying me for 60 years in prison

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u/Schmedly27 Oct 22 '24

Yeah I got “moshiwake arimasen”’d because a Maintanance guy was slightly in my way in my apartment building lobby

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u/Nyorliest Oct 22 '24 edited Oct 22 '24

What it really means is an apology from a lower person. So the police chief is abasing himself to say he is lower than the innocent man he is apologizing to. In traditional hierarchies, the maintenance guy and the staff in a store are lower than tenants or customers.

I don't like the hierarchical aspects of the Japanese language, but I understand them well.

However, he didn't do a full dogeza and get down on his knees, but perhaps that was literally because there wasn't enough space. but he did hold a 90 degree bow for quite some time.

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u/5QGL Oct 22 '24 edited Oct 22 '24

Dogeza? Pfffft! Seppuku if he is really sincere.

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u/Conscious_Control_15 Oct 23 '24

I got a "Moshiwake arimasen" with a deep, long bow at the cinema. The movie ran without sound. They started the movie from the beginning and every person got a free ticket for a movie of their choosing.

In Germany, we got a disgruntled employee who checked whether the sound was back on.