So worried about my dear friend Ayu & her family in Tokyo--thankfully she is okay after the initial quake, although I am still very anxious about her welfare. Here is her description of what happened, via email:
...I was home in Tokyo near
the Imperial Palace, I have never experienced the M5 earthquake
before, and my house is still shaking since yesterday, so scary and I
feel sick because of the quake and stomach pain. Everything seems so
panicked, but thankfully my family is ok for now...
My dog-- Tai was extremely scared just before the earthquake hit,
that's why I could stay home, if not, I was about to leave home, so I
was lucky. We never know what happens next, so I'll do my best for
emergency...
My thoughts & prayers are with her & all those in Japan right now.
...I was home in Tokyo near
the Imperial Palace, I have never experienced the M5 earthquake
before, and my house is still shaking since yesterday, so scary and I
feel sick because of the quake and stomach pain. Everything seems so
panicked, but thankfully my family is ok for now...
My dog-- Tai was extremely scared just before the earthquake hit,
that's why I could stay home, if not, I was about to leave home, so I
was lucky. We never know what happens next, so I'll do my best for
emergency...
My thoughts & prayers are with her & all those in Japan right now.

(A photo of Ayu and her dog Tai in calmer days, long before the earthquake.)
Ayu happens to be a brilliant scholar I had the honor of working with as an editor when she was conducting her PhD research at Harvard. Her work is fascinating, and covers a wide range of topics on the socio-cultural history of perceptions of the body in modern Japan, as traced through issues including racial consciousness, cleanliness and shame. She has a book forthcoming from Chuokoron-hinsha publishers in Tokyo.
Be safe Ayu! Bless you & your family... xxoo
To help, the New York Times blog has posted an excellent list of organizations & resources