[Tsuwabuki]

"Sorry mends no fences" is an idiom that means that an apology, by itself, doesn't do any work. In the case of the idiom, saying you're sorry that the fence isn't fixed yet doesn't get the fence fixed. Telling me you are sorry for the delay doesn't get me seated faster, and it doesn't allow me to ascertain how likely it is to happen in the future.

This is, I suppose, the fundamental difference in viewpoints. I see just an apology (especially from one who is not directly to blame) as a way to be evasive about why the mistake was made. The Japanese view, and it seems your view, is that why the mistake was made is the equivocation. That seems to be the crux of the issue on receiving apologies. Giving apologies is another matter entirely.