Hirata Keiko, Warschauer Mark. Japan: The Paradox of Harmony

Yale University Press, 2014. — 304 р. — ISBN 978-0-300-18607-9After the March 2011 tsunami and earthquake, the world looked on in awe as the Japanese people displayed the resilience and respect they are famed for. With the subway system shut down, millions of commuters walked miles from their offices in Tokyo to homes in the suburbs. There was no reported looting. People stood in lengthy queues to buy food and drinks at convenience stores. Some bought bicycles to get home. Tokyo was packed with scared and exhausted pedestrians walking at a snail’s pace without shoving, fighting, or arguing.
In the days that followed, the people of Tokyo lined up uncom-plainingly for hours in stores to get bottled water or food for their families. Even after they had waited for hours, when items ran out they walked to other stores and waited at the back of the line. There was virtually none of the conflict or chaos that disasters like this often bring to other countries in the world, rich or poor.