Monday, September 27, 2010

For what do Japanese apologize?

It is said that non-Japanese wonder why some Japanese apologize in some instances.
I read one of them in the essays written by Nakayama Miho, the popular singer and actress.
She, who lives in Paris, France, talked that she spilled water on her own clothes at a cafe and said "I'm sorry." and was said by a French cafe staff member, "For what do you apologize? For you?"

Maybe I would also apologize in that instance.
I know that the damage was done to my own clothes and water given to me, whereas the cafe didn't suffer damage very much.
But I would apologize on the instant for messing up his/her performance to serve water to me and for disturbing the sight there as there is the word meaning apologizing for showing anything unsightly in Japanese language.
That would be the agreeable manner for me.
It would be laborious for me to force myself not to apologize in the instance.

Nakayama Miho, on a TV show on 9 October 1986

The Turkish Version
The Japanese Long Version

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