Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

There was a big earthquake up in Touhoku today. Looks like a bad one. We couldn't even feel it down here in Fukuoka, so we are safe. Just glad that we live on a hilltop, our apartment is only a few hundred metres from the coast if a tsunami ever does hit.

Anyway, you know it is a bad earthquake if the newscaster has to wear a helmet while reporting it from the studio!

Edited to add:

I've noticed in the past couple hours that people overseas seem to be visiting this post looking for info about the quake in Fukuoka and Kyushu.

So here is what I know. There has been no damage in Fukuoka prefecture. NHK reported a tsunami warning (their lowest level one) for the Seto inland sea side of the prefecture near Kitakyushu, as well as Oita and Miyazaki prefectures. Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Kumamoto and most other areas of Kyushu also have warnings, though the quake didn't do any damage and couldn't even be felt way down here.

So if you've got friends or family in Kyushu, they are probably OK.