Arrest proves a common Japanese saying about apologies and police

“I’m sorry” doesn’t cancel out “I’ll kill you.”

Last Monday night, at about 7:40 in the evening, a man walked into the Kamori branch of 7-Eleven in the town of Komono, Mie Prefecture. Instead of picking out one of the many refreshing beverages or delicious snacks that Japanese convenience stores are stocked with, he walked up to the counter, where a 55-year-old clerk was working the register.

Taking out a bottle filled with cleaning solution, the man sprayed the clerk and began shouting at her, telling her “I’ll kill you! Give me the money!”

However, he left empty-handed, fleeing the scene without obtaining any cash or stolen goods. What’s more, a few minutes later the same 7-Eleven received a telephone call, which turned out to be from the same man who had just come in and threatened the clerk’s life, who said “Saki wo gomen,” meaning “Sorry about what I just did.”

▼ The 7-Eleven where the incident took place

Casually phrased as it may have been, it’s still surprising that he offered an apology. But hey, growing up just about everyone, in all cultures, is told “If you do something bad, you’re supposed to say sorry,” right? However, Japan also has its own unique bit of folk wisdom regarding apologies, with the set phrase “Gomen de sundara, keistatsu wa iranai,” which translates to:

“If everything could be solved by saying ‘sorry,’ we wouldn’t need police.”

The implied meaning is that simply saying “sorry” doesn’t magically make everything right, and that sometimes you’ll have to face punishment even if your express remorse for your actions. In this case, though, “If everything could be solved by saying ‘sorry,’ we wouldn’t need police” turned out to be a literal truth. After the man, later identified as 47-year-old Nobuyuki Nagata, called the store to apologize, the police called him back at the same number, asked where he was, and then went to arrest him.

Nagata has admitted to threatening the 7-Eleven clerk’s life, but says “I didn’t want the money.” Whether that gets him off the hook for attempted robbery charges remains to be seen, but at the very least he’s likely looking at prosecution for assault based on the spray and “I’ll kill you.”

Source: Tokai TV via Livedoor News via Jin
Top image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit: