BBC reporter Rupert Wingfield-Hayes writes about his experience of the muted Tokyo life, and traveling to Miyagi to witness the aftermath first hand. With everyone at home glued to their televisions watching the news onfold, it really reminds of the days and weeks after September 11th.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9429347.stm (via News on Japan)
On youtube, video from a freighter of the Pacific as it battles the tsunami waves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fqyOpqnJyw
Linked from that video is another video of some tsunami waves trailing along the ocean, and eventually slamming into the land
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd3EjOnbTGE
A reddit user has posted a personal account from a trans-pacific airline pilot mid-flight as the earthquake happened, and his frantic story of trying to find an airport to land.
http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/g7ksg/written_by_a_delta_pilot_on_approach_to_tokyo/
Japan Probe is down at the moment, but they have an article that highlights Operation Tomodachi, or Operation Friendship, which is the US mission to aid Japan. There are many highlights from TV, and show our nation as a hero to the Japanese.
http://www.japanprobe.com/2011/03/20/operation-tomodachi-american-aid-to-earthquake-tsunami-victims/
Much like that funny Children's cartoon illustrating the problems at the Fukushima plant, Japanese TV have been running several other PSAs about what is happening, and what to do.
http://www.japanprobe.com/2011/03/20/post-earthquake-japanese-tv-psas-instead-of-commercials
Something that we might find interesting in the role of Yakuza admist all this chaos. Rather than take advantage of the situation and profit, as you might expect from "gangsters", they are doing everything they can be offering shelter, food, water, blankets, etc.
The following article brings up the excellent point that this is not the first time this has happened. In most crisis Japan has faced, the Yakuza have been a key organizing in establishing peace and protection of citizens. This article is quite informative on Yakuza in Japan, a little bit of history, and the history of their aid during crisis.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/20110318/ts_dailybeast/12990_japaneseyakuzaaidearthquakereliefefforts_1 (via News on Japan)
That article has several interesting tidbits, including this quote from a member of the Yamaguchi-gumi, "Please don't say any more than we are doing our best to help. Right now, no one wants to be associated with us and we'd hate to have our donations rejected out of hand." And this one, "There are no yakuza or katagi (ordinary citizens) or gaijin (foreigners) in Japan right now. We are all Japanese. We all need to help each other."
Once again, Donate if you can.
http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html
March 18th - More links on Japan
March 16th - Crisis in Japan