http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/03/why-japan-was-ready/72429/


Emphasis mine - READ THE ARTICLE!

The international response over the past three days, effective though it has been, is dwarfed in comparison to Japan's efforts over the 15 years before the earthquake struck. Building codes as strict as they are expensive, emergency drills and education for as many of Japan 127 million citizens as possible, and a vast network of response centers and workers ready to spring into action in a few minutes notice -- which is all the time one really has to respond to a disaster such as this -- all contributed to making Japan, according to the New York Times, "the best-prepared country in the world for the twin disasters of earthquake and tsunami." In cities, buildings are fortified with elaborate systems of hydraulic cylinders; in coastal towns, many homes are networked with fire detector-like devices that sound an alarm in case of an earthquake. Despite the damage, 145 of Japan's 170 emergency response hospitals are still online, as are 2,050 evacuation centers.

In Miyago prefecture, the closest district to the original quake and the area worst hit by the tsunami, a number of small towns such as Minamisoma -- from which Shinkawa's home set sail on Friday -- have been devastated. But in Sendai, a city of one million 46 miles from Minamisoma and significantly closer to the epicenter, not a single building has yet collapsed. A visiting journalist describes the mood there as "sanguine," noting that "emergency services are working quite well and people have enough to eat and drink." In Tokyo, people are already putting the incident behind them and returning to work.

Kismet - I just posted similar thoughts in the wrong thread, Earthquake in Japan. This article says it all - the videos are horrific, but in them is evidence of massive preparation, and successes that saved lives.

Good article.

There is also a very strong feeling of public service, duty to the nation and fellow citizens, a nearly unshakable sense of dignity, and a tendency to cooperate. Japan is one of the few nations where a call could go out to march north and, without explanation or significant delay a majority of people would stand, turn north and march.

The population has a strong tendency to self-organize. They seemingly automatically, often without prompting, offer what food and resources they can and take people in. They automatically line up and quietly wait to get what they need. In the same line they do not complain if someone with clearly greater need is allowed in ahead of them. To push anyone out of the way, fail to wait, assume that you are special, or to recognize a greater need would be selfish and undignified.

They are a small nation with many people. They know how to get along and share. It even goes to what they will see, or admit to seeing. I'm reminded of when a group of young women were washed into the bay by a freak wave. The water removed their clothes. The ladies were never really in danger as other than the freak wave there was no appreciable surf or great current and fishermen with boats were close at hand. The story made the news but there were no indiscreet pictures. Not even pictured with blurring or black blocks. This goes beyond gentlemanly discretion.

Everyone was seemingly looking the other way. Nobody seemed to have seen certain things. Japan is not a nation of prudes. Sex and nudity sells quite well in Japan. But to notice would be undignified and if nobody saw it, and nobody mentions it; it didn't happen. It wouldn't have gone that way in the US.

With many people living in a small space certain things are not heard, seen, mentioned. This is not externally imposed. It is a matter of mental discipline and social norm.

It has to be noted that the people in the areas worse struck are quite calm, controlled, if anything the people in the US, even a few on this board, are freaking out more than the people in the thick of it.

There is No Warrant for Comparison,They have Only 1 Culture:Japanese!Show us a Neighborhood,Anywhere in Japan,That contains Diversity,i.e.Miami,FL or Miami,OK,Auburn,MI or Auburn,ME