When doing the "right" thing in Japan isn't always the sensible thing

One thing I've noticed after over a decade living in Japan is how much importance is placed on rules, procedures, and doing things properly. Most of the time, I actually appreciate it, since things tend to run smoothly because people know wha's expected of them.

In saying that, sometimes I wonder if there's a point where following the rules can come at the expense of common sense.

The deaths of two mall employees in Kumamoto have really brought that question home for me. After the earthquake struck the region on July 28th, there were two employees at an Aeon Mall who evacuated safely, but they were later asked to return inside to put cash from their store register into a safe. Only minutes later, a gas explosion destroyed part of the mall (I'm sure you've all read/heard about it) killing several people, including those two employees. Their employer has since apologized and admitted that asking them to go back inside was wrong (cheers to Captain Obvious for that).

I can't help but think that sure, maybe the cash needed to be secured, but did it really need to be secured at that moment?

Maybe it's because I'm Australian, but I genuinely cannot imagine being evacuated from a building after a major earthquake and then being asked to go back inside for money. My instinct would be pretty simple, to leave the cash since it's replaceable. People aren't. Even in an emergency, surely common sense has to outrank the rules!