The damage done and the lives lost to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan is horrifying. I can't even imagine how incredibly scary that would be to have phone and Internet cut off and not know the safety of family and friends. One thing that is fascinating is the Japanese infrastructure set up for the event of earthquakes and tsunamis of this magnatude. This bit from the NYT on The Lede blog quoted William M. Tsutsui, professor of Japanese business and economic history and dean of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, who was in Tokyo during the earthquake and noted how the massive buildings swayed, but didn't crack or crumble under the pressure: "'It's really a testament to Japanese construction methods,'' he said. 'I can't imagine a quake of this magnitude in Los Angeles or San Francisco causing almost no damage. The contrast to Haiti could not be more extreme.''" Of course there is considerable damage along the coast from the tsunami.
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Even as I write, there are more tremors going off, a 6.6 earthquake in Niigata, for one. I just texted my dad in Chicago to see if his Japanese friends are okay. Sending loving energy and prayers to our friends and fellow humans in Japan.
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