A 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck Japan this past Friday, the strongest ever experienced by the country, triggering a 23-foot tsunami. This has caused as-of-now unknown amounts of damage, yet the images and videos coming out of the affected areas show mass amounts of devastation. Many have been killed, and countless more have been injured or left homeless. The victims of this disaster need help, and donating to a charity involved in supplying aid to these areas is the best way most people can help. This page lists several charity organizations you can contribute to, though as the site notes it might be wise to wait a few days to give so you know your aid is going to Japan. Please give what you can to help those touched by these events if you can.
On a personal level, I am completely fine here in my corner of the Kansai region, glued to the television for the past several days. As for this blog, expect regular updates starting tonight though to be completely honest it feels weird to be writing about music when such dramatic events continue to unfold a scant 500 miles away. Yet ultimately this is a bit of an escape for me, and I hope it can offer a little calm to you, even just for a minute or two.