I am really not a soft kind of guy, but Japan is different. Super focused, dedicated, hard working people, always acting cool and cheerful not to spoil your mood and never saying no not be be impolite. I could mention a couple of nations that should learn from the Japanese, right here in Europe. (I will not though, that's against the rules)
For the photography industry, this is really a catastrophe. Symbolically of course, so far I haven't yet heard of any facilities being damaged. (corrections welcome) There is no other nation in the world who would have done so much for photography like Japan in the past 30 years.
The manufacturing of cameras, compacts, SLRs, DSLRs, medium formats they have been for a long time in the tops of each category with unquestionable quality and availability. Then the photo finishing industry, covered almost entirely by Japanese products. The percentage of printers, minilabs that are not made in Japan is minimal.
There is a great number of people in the world today who earn a living depending on the Japanese products. Their sales force in each country, service personnel, traders, brokers of machinery, the countless shops that sell cameras, mainly Japanese of course. Photographers all over the world using Japanese cameras in lack of available alternative.
I am sure there will be some saying, hey what about the other companies the Japanese expansion ruined?! I say it took a long time to reach their position. They could have figured out a way to survive, and some also did. I think in other industries there are much more aggressive expansions.
So to sum it up, my sympathy goes out for Japan, and if I wasn't myself near broke, I would even send them some donation.
Vy píšete! 
