You turn on the television and see a celebrity bowing deeply in front of a row of cameras. Sometimes that is the first moment you even realize they have done something wrong. If you do not follow entertainment news closely, you may hear a little about the scandal and then forget about it soon afterward.
When a celebrity scandal is reported in Japan, a familiar kind of apology press conference sometimes follows.
The celebrity appears in formal clothing, uses carefully chosen language, and bows deeply. That does not necessarily tell you how sincere the apology is. In Japan, creating a formal occasion for an apology can have meaning in itself.
A deep bow is not proof of genuine remorse.
Celebrities also have more than one group to answer to. Their actions may affect their agency, sponsors, television programs, business partners, and fans. A public apology can therefore serve as a way of addressing many of those relationships at once rather than treating the issue as entirely private.
At the press conference, beginning with a clear apology may be received better than immediately launching into a long explanation. The more someone talks about their circumstances before apologizing, the easier it can be for the explanation to sound like an excuse.
But following the expected form is not enough by itself. Japanese viewers can also watch someone bow, listen to the words, and think, “This feels like they’re just going through the motions.”
There is another question that some people have about these press conferences: Why does the celebrity need to apologize to the public at all?
If the scandal is an affair, for example, the people who most directly deserve an apology would be the celebrity’s spouse and family. If the situation has caused problems at work, there may also be reasons to apologize to an agency, sponsor, or other business partner.
But an ordinary person watching television may not feel personally wronged. They may simply think, “They’re not really apologizing to me.”
Celebrity apology press conferences have happened often enough that the format itself can feel almost ritualized. How necessary that ritual seems depends on the person watching. Some people may care deeply about the apology. Others may see another celebrity bowing on television, think, “Oh, there’s another apology press conference,” and then go back to whatever they were doing.