Rule-based bureaucracies are clearly the best organisational model for dealing with stable, predictable situations such as rapidly unfolding natural disasters.
To be fair, that article also stated that: "Japanese does not have a word for excessive preparation."
I haven't noticed that tendency in western cultures... so an organisational structure that works in an environment where everyone is super-committed for a whole bunch of reasons can (and does) fail spectacularly in one which is a bit looser, less structured, more self-focused, etc.
That said, I assume neither of us know anything about natural disaster management, so we're both really theorising on a deeply practical matter... Our thoughts on the topic are probably not worth the bits carrying them ;-)
Supposedly the current disaster-response structure was implemented specifically because of shortcomings in the 9/11 disaster response (along with one other major natural disaster, I forget which)
Oh wait...