One concept you encounter quite a lot in Japan is 責任 sekinin, meaning responsibility or duty. Whether it’s a clipboard in a restaurant bathroom an employee has signed signifying that he’s checked and cleaned the bathroom each hour, or the time Kusanagi of the band SMAP was arrested for being naked in public (he’d had a bit too much to drink) and was banned from working for several months to atone for his error. Last week the famous TV announcer Mino Monta — who’s listed in the Guinness Book as the TV presenter with the most live TV appearance in a week, 22 hours — appeared in a press conference with his head held low. It seems his son Yuto had happened upon a drunk civil servant sleeping in the street and thought it’d be a good idea to steal the guy’s bank card and try to withdraw money. He was caught on camera and arrested, which caused a huge scandal for one of the most famous faces on Japanese TV, which brought on his heartfelt apology. Incidentally if you’re wondering why the son’s hands are mosaiced out in the picture above, it’s illegal to show handcuffs on suspects as it creates an expectation of guilt in society that hasn’t yet been proved by a court of law.
Mino Monta takes responsibility for his son.
