Moment Japanese minister sprints into meeting because she is five minutes late – and then apologises to the whole country

This is the moment a Japanese politician sprinted into a meeting she was five minutes late for – and then apologised to the entire nation. 

Kimi Onoda, the Japanese minister for economic security, was filmed leaping out of a taxi and running into a cabinet meeting on Friday morning. 

The viral footage showed the 43-year-old sprinting into the building, handbag in hand, then past the press as an aide runs alongside her. 

The politician was then seen hurrying down a staircase towards the meeting. 

Camera crews filmed the moment Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi entered the room as cabinet colleagues stood up and buttoned their suit jackets. 

Moments later as the cabinet took their places in the meeting, a camera panned across the room to Ms Onoda’s empty seat.

The Liberal Democratic Party minister later apologised to the whole of Japan citing a road traffic accident and subsequent delays for her lateness. 

Ms Onoda, a popular Right-wing figure with tough views on immigrants, addressed the nation by saying she was ‘stuck in traffic due to a sudden accident and was unable to move’. 

‘I will remain vigilant so that I can respond to any unforeseen circumstances,’ she said. 

Punctuality is very important in Japan and lateness is considered rude. 

However the internet has praised Ms Onoda for her prompt apology, calling her response ‘exemplary’. 

One X user said: ‘Economic Security Minister Onoda’s five-minute delay was clearly due to force majeure—a traffic jam caused by an accident on the highway. 

‘In fact, her usual practice of arriving 15 to 20 minutes early demonstrates her strong sense of responsibility. 

‘Her immediate apology and forward-looking comment that she needs to “exercise better crisis management” were exemplary for a politician. 

‘Blasting this out of proportion is an overreaction and a sign of being disconnected from the realities of risk. 

‘Minister Onoda, thank you for your hard work. I look forward to your continued success.’

Another wrote: ‘Some might say it’s overkill, but it’s about the principle of public trust. 

‘When leaders value everyone’s time, it sets the standard for the whole country. We need more of this energy.’

A third said: ‘Spot on. As a Japanese person, I can confirm we treat the start time as sacred, but the end time? That’s just a suggestion. 

‘We’re “excellent” at starting on time and even more “excellent” at staying late!’ 

Meanwhile a fourth wrote: ‘Japanese people are very serious about punctuality. In Japan, if someone is late, they are often seen as careless or unreliable. 

‘Being on time is considered a basic sign of respect and trustworthiness.’

Referencing Japan’s strict cultural rules about punctuality, a fifth person said: ‘Japanese and Asian culture should really be the benchmark for the world.’ 

Ms Onoda became a member of the House of Councillors, the upper part of Japan’s national legislature, the National Diet, in July 2016 and was appointed as the economic security minister in October last year.

She has been compared to Joan of Arc and is considered the ‘new darling’ of the Right in Japan. 

The minister has taken a tough stance on immigrants. In January she said Japan ‘must address citizens’ worries and the sense of injustice regarding the illegal behavior of certain foreigners’. 

And last October Ms Onoda declared: ‘Crimes and disruptive behavior by some foreign nationals, as well as inappropriate use of public systems, are causing anxiety and a sense of unfairness among Japanese citizens.’ 

She said ‘strict measures’ should be brought in against immigrants ‘who do not follow the rules’.