In the aftermath of the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power disaster (known as 3.11), Japan’s overwhelmed bureaucrats realised that disaster management planning had to change. In a nation famous for communal cohesion, the role of the individual and self-help have become the mantra for disaster first response.
The role of self-help in Japanese disaster management post-3.11 (eastasiaforum.org)