Japan hit by 8.9 earthquake off north-west coast

There's been a few concerns for Maaya's safety and for Maaya fans in Japan after a massive earthquake sent a tsunami wave over the north-east of the country. Apparently the epicentre was off-shore but the quake was felt 250 miles away in Tokyo.

Maaya was due to perform at the Zepp Fukuoka today so I don't think you need to worry about her personal safety. Fukuoka is on the southern-most island so it's quite a long way away from the epicentre. The fans on MIXI have also been posting about buying goods so it would seem that the concert was not cancelled. Natalie.mu's list of cancellations also did not list the venue so it looks like it's going ahead (possibly as we speak).

However, Maaya is due to perform in Sendai, where there has been massive damage, on the 21st of March. Whether that will go ahead or will be cancelled/rearranged is not known. They might make an announcement over the weekend or at the beginning of next week once the damage has been assessed.

The loss of life and damage is truly awful, and there are tsunami warnings out for a lot of other countries. My thoughts are with everyone affected.

For more news on the earthquake follow the Guardian's live feed here.

EDIT: This whole thing is terrible, we've been glued to the TV at work. I hope that the emergency services can save as many people as possible.