‘ASHAMED’

Japanese Prime Minister’s Aide Sorry for Having Hands in Pockets on U.S. Trip

Seiji Kihara, 52, said his mother had told him off over the incident.

An aide to Japan’s prime minister has publicly apologized for having his hands in his pockets during a trip to Washington, D.C. Seiji Kihara, 52, said his mother had called him to say she was “ashamed” and suggested he “sew up his pockets” after she saw comments online saying he was “disgracing his parents” after he was pictured with his hands in his pockets outside Blair House in the U.S. capital. Kihara was accompanying Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during Kishida’s first summit as prime minister with Joe Biden on Jan. 13 when the incident took place. In his defense, Kihara, the deputy chief cabinet secretary, said he was the sort of person who “puts his hands in his pockets while walking”—although he is standing still in the offending images.