Japanese Volleyball Player Dives and Slides Face-First To Apologize After Hitting Courtside Judge

Japanese Volleyball Player Dives and Slides Face-First To Apologize After Hitting Courtside Judge

ボール当てたちゃった西田くんのスライディング土下座‍♂️‍♂️‍♂️
20260201@オールスター@HaruCam pic.twitter.com/fq0HAlzlde

— Haru (@harulovesvolley) February 1, 2026

In Japan, bowing is a customary part of many interactions, including greeting someone, saying thanks, or showing humility. It is also essential in apologizing—the deeper the bow, the more profusely you’re asking for forgiveness. Its most extreme form is the dogeza, which involves bowing down until your forehead touches the floor. While considered rare and outlandish, it was seen around the world after volleyball player Yuji Nishida expressed immense remorse after a serve went wrong.

While taking part in a half-time serving challenge at a volleyball event, Nishida was mortified to see he had struck a female courtside judge on the head with a ball. In a matter of seconds, the 6'1″ player ran and dived on the floor, sliding face-first across the court to where the woman was to apologize. After doing a fairly athletic dogeza, he continued to bow profusely while kneeling on the floor. The judge, accepting the apology, bowed back at him.

The scene, captured by a volleyball fan named Haru and shared on X (formerly Twitter), inspired reactions across Japan and around the world. Some wondered if the athlete had burned his forehead from the friction, while others called his sliding dogeza a work of art. X users compiled videos of the moment, capturing every angle possible of the rapid-fire reaction. Netflix even jumped in on the trend, sharing a still image from the anime Haikyu!! where two characters seem to be performing a dogeza.

The brief embarrassment didn’t stop Nishida from helping his team win 3-0. It may have been his efforts, plus the now world-famous apology that sparked laughter and applause in the arena, that earned him the tournament’s MVP award. As one X user put it, “You can’t beat the Japanese when it comes to showing respect for others.”

Volleyball player Yuji Nishida accidentally hit a courtside judge with a ball, so he performed a dogeza, sliding face-first on the floor to ask for forgiveness.

Here are all the angles… pic.twitter.com/28ndu1eNWD

— Dumpster (@x_dumpster) February 3, 2026

The heartfelt scene inspired reactions across Japan and around the world. Even Netflix jumped in with their own reaction.

There's something familiar about this scene pic.twitter.com/wgXVucRoD4

— Netflix Anime (@NetflixAnime) February 3, 2026

Sources: ‘Work of art’: Japanese volleyballer takes sorry to extremes with headfirst sliding apology; A Guide to Bowing in Japan

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