Scenes showing businessmen bowing deeply with a remorseful “sumimasen!!” are pretty common in Japanese movies and TV shows, and occurs when said businessmen have made an irreparable mistake or disrespected a superior. While most grave blunders in life can be forgiven with this kind of apology, sometimes even that’s not enough; that’s where dogeza comes into play.

In Japan, dogeza is the deepest form of apology. It involves kneeling on the ground and prostrating oneself with head to the floor, which is the lowest apologetic bow physically possible. It’s used in situations where receiving forgiveness is next to impossible, such as when an unfaithful partner is caught cheating.

But one group of Japanese breakdancers turned this extreme form of apology into an extreme sport, competing on who can make the already powerful act of penitence into one that’s filled with even more remorse. Sliding under tables and turning on their heads, which one takes the cake for you?


By - grape Japan editorial staff.