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The Japanese are an amazing people.
It's seen times of seclusion, followed by times of opennness. Times of war, to times of economic power (3rd largest economy in the world).
It's seen a history swinging multiple times from violence and disaster, to progress and prosperity, and this is reflected in everything from their paintings, to their anime and movies.
Having been to their fine country, one can't help but notice a sense of order and spurious energy. The trains arrive on time, the harajuku crowd is loud and about, the food is amazing, and the people are generally helpful and polite.
I don't know how to describe it, but there's this intangible aura of shall we say, "maturity", in some countries with a long history of strife (like much of western europe).
It somehow reflects the ability for the entire population as a whole to take things unto themselves and drive forward.
This most recent earthquake has already caused major damage, but I'm confident in the ability of the Japanese to bounce back from this.
They will weather the storm.