Mr Edano, who like Mr Kan is dressed in blue overalls to give the uniform-loving Japanese a sense of workmanship, is deftly trying to reduce the risk of panic around the country.

By the elevators, a uniformed Japanese private security guard looked us over carefully.

The business suit, a descendant of a European army officer's outfit, is now standard for men from Japan to South Africa to Peru - with the laggard or rebel once again being the Arab world.