If Yuji Nishida ever decides to give up volleyball, he might want to take up the skeleton.
In a moment of chivalry that has been widely shared online, the Japanese player displayed majestic sliding skills as he took a traditional apology to extremes after inadvertently striking a courtside judge with the ball at the weekend.
The 26-year-old, who was taking part in a half-time serving challenge at a volleyball all-star event in Kobe in western Japan, looked horrified as his left-handed serve veered off the court and struck the female judge squarely on her back.
By the time the uninjured judge had regained her composure, Nishida’s 186cm frame was sliding quickly along the ground towards her, his nose down and his hands by his side, triggering laughter and applause among the spectators and his teammates.
Nishida was not finished, however. He then got to his knees and continued to bow profusely, at one point clasping the palms of his hands together. The bowing carried on as he stood up and elicited a similar gesture from the beaming, and slightly embarrassed, judge.
Clips of the scene have attracted millions of views on social media. One fan commended Nishida on his “work of art”, while another said his “sliding grovel” resembled a human form of curling.
TV commentators wondered if the friction had burned the Osaka Bluteon captain’s head, while another likened his appearance to that of a “freshly landed tuna”.
Away from the globally viewed moment, Nishida impressed on the court, helping his team to a 3-0 victory and taking home the tournament’s MVP award, according to AbemaTV, a streaming service that broadcast the tournament.
Even in a country where a sincere apology can go a long way, Nishida’s mea culpa was an extreme example. The most extravagant form in Japanese culture is the dogeza, which can also be used to express deep respect.
When used as an apology, the person in the wrong prostrates themselves and bows so that their forehead touches the floor between their hands. While the dogeza is rarely seen in public, scandal-hit politicians have used equally theatrical gestures to communicate their remorse.
