Japanese Culture

I don't tend to think of CNN as a source for in-depth reporting, but this article on Japanese culture today is actually quite good.  The summary is that the cultural need to appear "ideal" results in suppression of timely and accurate information share.  The author posits that the Japanese stoicism in the face of crisis is not always a good thing, this can result in a lack of urgency.  But perhaps this monumental disaster could galvanize the society, much like WWII resulted in Japan's economic miracle.  Worth a look.