This Japanese Volleyball Player Went Full Anime Mode With A Sliding Apology After Hitting The Judge
Nishida's sliding “dogeza” apology quickly became the highlight of the moment.
Japanese volleyball player Nishida Yuji has gone viral after performing an unexpectedly dramatic, head-first sliding apology during a match after he accidentally hit a woman judge with the ball.
26-year-old Nishida is a key volleyball player in the Japanese national team, well-known for his powerful left-handed serves and explosive vertical jump.
During an SV League All-Star event in Kobe, Japan, on Saturday, Feb. 1, Nishida accidentally struck a woman courtside judge with the ball during a serving challenge.
After realizing what had happened, Nishida immediately dove forward and slid across the court floor on his stomach before bowing deeply in apology, triggering laughter and applause from the crowd.
His sliding “dogeza” apology — one of the most formal and traditional forms of apology in Japan, involving kneeling and bowing low to the ground — quickly became the highlight of the moment, with many people online finding it both excessive and hilarious.
The judge was not seriously injured and appeared amused by the gesture, laughing and bowing back.
As the clip spread quickly online, many people called it “peak Japanese sportsmanship”.
Nishida led his team to a 3–0 victory and was later named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), according to local broadcaster AbemaTV.
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