A Japanese-style corporate apology
When US Senator Chuck Grassley told the press he wanted to see failed American CEO’s making Japanese-style public apologies for their mistakes, he probably wasn’t thinking about this kind of apology:
The man delivering the dogeza apology in the video is President Tomomasa Fukui, the president who led study abroad company Gateway 21 into bankruptcy. As he bows and apologizes, angry students tell him the apology is meaningless and they want their money back. Knowing that his company was about to go under, Fukui had continued with promotional activities for Gateway 21′s study abroad programs, collecting some 9 million dollars in fees from about 1,300 prospective students. Instead of using that money to arrange study programs for the customers, Fukui spent it on business expenses. It is unlikely any of those customers will see their money returned, so bows and apologies aren’t exactly going to make them feel better.
