Asian Games apology: disgraced Japan basketball stars forced to show public humiliation over ‘buying sex’ in Jakarta

In a layered society like Japan, there are levels of apologies. The ultimate level of contrition is the dogeza, where the offending party kneels directly on the ground in a prostrate manner with their head on the floor.

Far more common is the deep bow, the go-to ritualistic begging of forgiveness for disgraced politicians and executives who are usually paraded in front of the media making a pronounced bow from the waist down and holding it for a good 10 seconds or more.

But just where the latest public act of contrition fits into the level of egregious offences is open for debate after four players on Japan’s national basketball team were sent home from the Asian Games in Jakarta for “badly betraying Japanese people’s expectations of them”.

Their most notable “betrayal” was reportedly having sex with prostitutes in the Indonesian capital. “I feel a sense of shame,” said Yasuhiro Yamashita, head of Japan’s delegation for the Games. “We deeply apologise and intend to give the athletes thorough guidance from now on.”