Since Japan is an island and prone to earthquakes, large and small, it should have been better prepared for emergencies. Granted earthquakes do not give much in the way of warnings. Still given Japan’s history of natural disasters especially earthquakes, it should have been much better prepared. Also, there are many low lying areas in Japan that are especially vulnerable to tsunamis. Another problem is the densely populated areas which many are huddled together. This also poses quite a problem in the event of a natural disaster. My heart goes out to the people of Japan. Having said all that, I can see the late night guys poking fun of this by incorporating footage from the Godzilla movies.
I hope you are not slighting the Japanese. There is only so much humans can prepare for these circumstances.