Now that's an apology

[GreenWyvern]

Another one fired, this time for a Holocaust joke in 1998:

Olympics opening ceremony director sacked for Holocaust joke

That seems a bit excessive, unless he has a record of anti-semitic remarks or behaviour. The articles seem to suggest that it was just a single joke in bad taste 23 years ago.

[DemonTree]

@TokyoBayer

Reading the article in Japanese made me feel sick. He laughed how he had sexually assaulted a handicapped classmate, forced him to eat excrement, and physically abused him. The interview was done 27 years ago when he was 25 years old and he was treating his actions as amusing antics rather than serious abuse.

Well fuck. That totally changes the story and my opinion. Wonder why they didn’t include the details in the original article?

[Isamu]

@DemonTree

Well fuck. That totally changes the story and my opinion. Wonder why they didn’t include the details in the original article?

Because the western media always treats Japan with a favoritism bias.

[Jackmannii]

@TokyoBayer

While people in America do apologize, the number of times that happens is only a tenth or a hundredth of the frequency of Japanese.

Wikipedia has a semi-comprehensive list of official Japanese war apologies. While they’ve gotten better at it over time*, some past apologies are humdingers. Two of my favorites:

• August 24, 1982: Prime Minister Zenkō Suzuki said: “I am painfully aware of Japan’s responsibility for inflicting serious damages [on Asian nations] during the past war.” “We need to recognize that there are criticisms that condemn [Japan’s occupation] as invasion” (Press Conference on the textbook controversy).
• September 6, 1984: Emperor Hirohito said to President Chun Doo Hwan: “It is indeed regrettable that there was an unfortunate past between us for a period in this century and I believe that it should not be repeated again.” (Meeting with (South Korean) President Chun Doo Hwan.)

List of war apology statements issued by Japan

*whether apologies have been sufficiently backed by actions is of course a matter of continuing controversy.

[74westy]

@Isamu

@DemonTree

Well fuck. That totally changes the story and my opinion. Wonder why they didn’t include the details in the original article?

Because the western media always treats Japan with a favoritism bias.

And totally not because the media are pushing the idea that people are constantly being cancelled over nothing.

[Isamu]

@74westy

And totally not because the media are pushing the idea that people are constantly being cancelled over nothing.

Could be a bit of both.

[elbows]

Christ on a cracker!

The young man (Logan Mailloux), who currently plays for the London Knights, was involved in a crime, last year, in Sweden, (took a clandestine photo of a sexual partner and circulated it!), spoke out as the NHL draft approached, (where, it was expected, he might have made round two?), and requested he NOT be drafted. He made a very good apology and stated he wished any team that he ended up going to, to be proud of him, he wanted time to mature and prove himself a better man. He’s 18, I think.

He was drafted in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens. What the hell?

He’s proving himself more mature than them, in my opinion. I’m glad they’re taking heaps for it!

[Alessan]

@elbows

He was drafted in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens. What the hell?

I didn’t know hockey teams could press men into service.