Meanwhile, countries around the world panic over it.

It's often the nature of people in disaster. Those at the epicentre simply get on with it as best they can.

That people can learn them from them...  Panic is only for fools, nothing so annoying then at an accident have someone crying and yelling 'OMG..OMG..OMG'...

I don't live in Japan so I don't know if many are panicing. I know I'm not but I'd say that probably some are the Government is just trying to relay a message of calm to the people. I'm sure Japanese citizens are panicing its just not being reported.

I saw video's of white guys living in Japan panicing like little school girls, though I didn't see any of actual ethnic Japanese so I don't know about them.

Also the country has been hit by thousands of Earthquakes in the last few decades let alone its history the country was the most prepared for a disaster on this scale. Its also a first world country getting help from around the world, I'd say the need to panic is greatly reduced.

However I have seen video shot by the CBC in the Government press conferences on the Nuclear Plants and they do seem to be panicked, with the exception of the Government who is always calm.

The last thing the Japanese Government wants is people panicing. So seeing it reported is highly unlikely because the media doesn't want to cause a big panic either.

This is a really good point.

I live in the Midwest and I know a few dudes who think the radiation is here and gonna get us (and i'm sure, somehow is the us government's fault) So they are freaking out!

yet the people ACTUALLY in harms way seem to be taking things with quite dignity and hard work.

I'm sure a lot has to due specifically with the Japanese culture of dignity before emotion and their strong culture of community that we, unfortuantly, really lack.

There was a bit of panic, though it was orderly (if that's even possible), i mean they had runs on gas stations and convenience stores, and pretty much the entire citizenry of Tokyo is still walking around with breath-masks (though a surprising number of them do that all the time due to germs).

You don't think that anyone in Japan is panicking?  I'm not so sure about that.

 Also, I don't know anyone that's panicking, but my friends are pretty laid back individuals that don't give a hoot about what Diane Sawyer says. 

don't forget the Kronenzeitung

a few days after the first quake i talked to my friend in tokyo about the radiation and how he feels about it

he just said something like: "i get more radiation if i travel by plane"