By Kiko Itasaka, NBC News producer
More than 8 million Toyota owners had been waiting for an explanation and an apology. They were kept waiting for a reason — saying sorry is no simple matter in Japan.
The art of expressing regret is very nuanced. There are different levels of saying sorry, ranging from a simple “excuse me” to “please accept my most humble regrets,” and these words are accompanied with bows of varying degrees. The degree of apology is often carefully considered.
On Tuesday, with heavily accented and carefully phrased English, Toyota’s president Akio Toyoda apologized for letting down his customers. It is not unusual for a Japanese executive to take responsibility. In fact it is very typically Japanese. Toyoda’s departure was to issue his statement in English. Normally a Japanese executive would speak in Japanese with simultaneous translation rather than be embarrassed by less-than-perfect English. Toyota is clearly desperate to reach out to its global audience and in particular, the huge American market.
Separately, in the Washington Post, Toyoda accepted that his company had let down their customers. “As president of Toyota, I take personal responsibility” he wrote. That is why I am personally leading the effort to restore trust in our world and in our products.” …(read more)
