I am inclined to think that this exact same scenario featuring a plane full of not Japanese, but, say, Dutch, English, or Americans, would not have resulted in a full evacuation in 18 minutes; possibly with casualties. Obeying commands as a group in a high-pressure situation? That takes a lifetime of living in a culture where this is normal. A group of military passengers (any nationality) would probably have worked just as well.
(Not to say that Japanese culture is better, just that it happens to be very beneficial in this scenario.)
(Not to say that Japanese culture is better, just that it happens to be very beneficial in this scenario.)