In my view Looting takes place due to a combination of several factors. It happens when you have the following: a breakdown in police in the area or on the streets, a mob mentality where its a case of grab what you can, if the need and the situation is right then looting will occur. Plus in cases of civil unrest, you will see looting of expensive electrical items by a mob, as a way of showing political dissent against those in power, who have placed certain items that expensive they are beyond the reach of those worse off. Looting is more of an oppertunist thing, without the oppertunity looting will not occur. As for any difference in Culture, yes there could be a link, but there might not be. If there has been no looting going on across the areas of Japan, it could be down to a more polite society, or could the reason be along the lines that with all the devastation that we have all seen, there is nothing worth trying to take, as its all jumbled up in the debris?