I would basically agree with this, and certainly this is the case in the more rural areas and towns that we have mostly seen on the videos.

I can't imagine normal Japanese swarming a supermarket and just carting away stuff right in front of TV cameras and scurrying away. Of course, every culture has its criminal element--even Japan--and they may cause some mischief. However, calamity can often bring out the best in even criminals.

If things ever got so desperate that the contents of some business were needed (and who knows, it might come to that), instead of going in and stealing it themselves, the people would most likely ask the owner or ask the authorities to ask the owner and the owner would likely just donate it all. If the owner couldn't be found, the supplies would be commandeered in some rational, orderly fashion. Probably not dissimilar to what you might see in many tightknit rural communities even in the US still.

Not that anyone has any guns in Japan, but you'll never see any need for merchants on rooftops waving shotguns to scare off looters or armed "neighborhood watches" and checkpoints like in the Cairo uprising.

That said, there can be a dark side to Japanese, too. I won't go into details since it's apparently not relevant in this situation AFAIK. I just bring it up so people realize that I'm not saying the Japanese are all just angels in human form.

Edit:
Here's a Washington Post article I just read called, "Amid catastrophe, Japan fights mayhem with order."

This description is very illustrative (remember this is IN the disaster area):

I just read a mention in one story that the fear and uncertainty over the nuclear situation could be hampering relief efforts because people in Japan away from the disaster zones are starting to stock up on food just as supplies need to be diverted to the disaster areas. Another knock on effect of this trifecta of disasters in Japan.

I have read reports that many store shelves in Tokyo are apparently bare, although that could be more because normal food deliveries were disrupted by the earthquake rather than panic buying. In any just-in-time supply chain, any disruption can lead to bare shelves quickly. My friend in Tokyo mentioned bare shelves in a convenience store, but the larger supermarket near her seemed OK, so it's hard to say how accurate the reporting is about this. She didn't notice any signs of panic buying at the supermarket.

Just got a quick email from my friend who left Japan. She says Narita airport (the main international airport for Tokyo) was swamped but orderly and she got out without much trouble.

In one news report from one of the shelters in the disaster zone, the reporter made a brief mention that they are still meticulously sorting all the garbage at the shelter. In Japan, the lack of landfill space means that they must try to recycle as much as they can.

Municipalities differ in their recycling programs, and in some places, there is a boggling number of different kinds of categories you must separate your garbage into. The thought of these cold, hungry, scared, bewildered folks having the fortitude to carry on something like separating their garbage brings a little tear to my eye.

I keep seeing these stories about survivors and shelters that are out of basically all supplies and fuel, but I have yet to see any stories about anyone getting resupplied. I have also seen a story or two about supplies piling up outside the diaster zone just waiting for directions from the government on where to go. I'm wondering what's going on with the relief effort, is this a pattern, or are we just hearing from the places that haven't yet been supplied? Don't know.

I certainly don't know the answeres to your questions, but you have to consider media bias. Stories about lack of supplies please editors more than a piece about resupply. In an event of this magnitude, there are bound to be glitches.

This is certainly an excellent demonstration of the advisability of stocking up for a longer period than 72 hours (like one month - that would be 720 hours).

I have about a month of everything on hand except water, where I'm at about two weeks' supply. I haven't figured out how to store enough of that yet.

Unfortunately, a false alarm over a reported rescue. Earlier in the day, the news was reporting the miraculous rescue of a young man eight days after the quake and tsunami.

Turns out that he hadn't been trapped all this time, but was brought in by rescuers, possibly suffering from hypothermia. He had been staying at an evacuation shelter and had gone back to the site of his destroyed home to see if he could salvage anything from the wreckage.

I don't know what you do, but my practice is to utilize every two liter or larger plastic container that comes my way. The are cleaned, filled with water, and dispersed around the home. At this point, I don't have as much water as I would like to have, either.

I try and refresh the containers every year or so, but I must admit I am not very good at that.

This is a 52-photo slideshow about the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. Many memorable and haunting images which really touch me. An outstanding piece of photojournalism.

For the maritime/nautical type folks, I thought that this video was very dramatic and the only video that I have seen that shows how boats/ships fared besides getting smashed up.

Starting at 0:50 and until 3:50, you can watch this good sized ship (I don't have a good eye--75-100 ft long?) struggle as it gets caught in the tsunami, close to shore.

In the beginning, the ship is listing badly and looks to be broadside to the tsunami. You can see crew members standing on the outside of the rails because the ship is listing so much. After about half a minute, you see black smoke start pouring out of the stack and the ship starts to turn and right itself.

Even then, they aren't out of danger. The current seems to change directions very quickly. At one point, the ship is spun 180 degrees in a couple of seconds, almost capsizing yet again. Must've been terrifying for the captain and crew.

The only other video I've seen is reportedly from a Japan Coast Guard vessel further off the coast when the tsunami passes. Not as dramatic since the tsunami is just a really big swell at that point, but you do experience tension as you see the tsunami in the distance and the bow slowly comes around to meet it head on. The voice on the video estimates the height as 10m.