The art of the bow

Saying sorry: Nissan Motor Co’s president and chief executive officer Hiroto Saikawa (left) and chief competitive officer Yasuhiro Yamauchi bowing during a news conference in Yokohama, Japan, on Nov 17. Nissan blamed its own workers and their disregard for rules that led to a recall of 1.2 million vehicles in Japan and a cut in profit forecast. — Bloomberg

EXECUTIVES of big Japanese corporations have been seen bowing deeply at press conferences in recent years. They were apologising, in Japanese style, for their companies’ misconduct.

The scenes have become a familiar sight in Japan with the high number of corporate scandals, from deadly air bags to falsified product data, from improper accounting to flawed inspections.