Friday, February 19, 2010

Subtle in Bowing

US trained MBA Mr. Toyota 'apologized', finally.

While every US media ridiculing Mr. Toyota's broken English, some were quick to point out the bow took place before the news conference held in Toyota City, not after. Toyota already had senior executives apologies in a prior news conference, picky audiences complained there was no deep bow, as always seen in Japanese culture. Now, Mr. Toyota gave the audiences the 'deep bow' as they expect to see, but deliberately made it before he started to speak. In Japanese culture, this bow is a greeting gesture. For Americans, that's the 'deep bow' they had asked for.

So an American trained MBA couldn't speak English? That's another practicing prank pulled by Mr. Toyota. If reporters spent less time in laughing on the odd accent, if you read Mr. Toyota's statement on paper rather than hearing it in his broken English, they would know when Mr. Toyota used the word 'apology', he carefully to make sure on record that it was not for what Toyota did, but for the concerns of Toyota owners caused by the media.

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