This New York Times article about one remote village's actions after the quake are remarkable. No one from the outside reached their small village for 12 days.

However, I don't think the remarkable way that these people banded together and self-organized is unique only to Japan. They have more practice at it, just due to the culture, but I think that in general, people are more likely to come together than to turn inward during times of crisis. However, I think that some sort of leadership function is crucial. At least someone to provide the first spark of motivation to get things going.

I think the more doomsday scenarios people envision often require a total lack of any sort of leadership to organize, motivate, and boost morale. As we've seen in North Africa lately, even the threat of violence and physical harm don't necessarily keep everyone at home, if they are motivated and have a goal in mind.

I think the last few paragraphs are also intriguing, about the value of the spontaneous groups and systems that survivors had organized themselves. Often, pre-arranged plans are imposed from above, totally devoid of any input from the people affected. But left to organize themselves, perhaps these are the most useful and enduring plans or systems of them all.