It's really devastating, and many people are effected. The epicenter was NEAR Sendai, so Tokyo was not so damaged as the northern parts of Japan. Luckily their strict building codes prevented the skyscrapers from falling, but there was a fire in Odaiba, the Tokyo Tower bent and Japan's nuclear reactor was shut down.
But the damage is really extensive in Sendai and northern Japan, houses swept away, infrastructure collapsed, fires. The death toll is in the mid hundreds right now (missing is in the tens of thousands?), but I'm sure it will rise when the missing people are confirmed dead.
I haven't heard from my best friend and roommate in Tokyo, I know many other people are awaiting to hear from their loved ones in Japan. My ex-bf's family is in Sendai and had their house destroyed (luckily they are safe) but his friends there have not responded either.
There have been many terrible terrible disasters in the past couple of years, and sending your time and money as aid really makes a difference. I want to volunteer as an aid worker personally. But who knows what will happen :/
