A 60-year-old man in Japan survived the tsunami by getting to know his neighbors. What makes a government capable?

On March 11th, 2011 , a massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck about 80 miles off the northeast coast of Japan 's main island near Tohoku .

The earthquake shook the ground violently for over 6 minutes , shifting Miyagi Prefecture a full 15 feet eastward as the Earth 's crust split apart and its rotation was slowed by a force 600 million times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.

Japan 's democracy has caused a lot of problems in the long term recovery after the earthquake.

The country's democratic system ultimately links all officials with the general public.

In Japan , unequal links may have led to unequal recoveries, but the country's democracy ultimately links officials to the public.

Meanwhile, no such vertical links exist for the public in China , though a select few still have sway.

All these ideas are becoming especially important as extreme weather events proliferate around the world, demanding not just well defined plans of action on paper, but societies that are capable of resilient responses thanks to rich communal ties and accountable vertical relationships. As Daniel Aldridge , the author of the book Black Wave , which served as the basis of this video, writes, successes at all levels, from personal through national, have come when denser, tighter connections and good governance worked hand in hand. It's a lesson leaders and citizens around the world should heed..