Hansei(反省, "self-reflection") is a central idea in Japanese culture. Its meaning is to acknowledge your own mistake and to pledge improvement. (Similar to the German proverb "Selbsterkenntnis ist der erste Schritt zur Besserung" where the closest translation would be "Self-awareness is the first step to improvement"). An example would be Japanese politicians involved in corruption. They appear in public and apologize, then disappear from politics for a few years. After some time they resume their career because it is thought they learned their lesson.