The Japanese Prime Minister's Office started an English-language Twitter account Wednesday, providing updates on the Tohoku-Pacific Ocean Earthquake situation.

The account, @JPN_PMO, will tweet translations from the Japanese disaster information account @Kantei_Saigai, which the Prime Minister's Office created March 13, two days after the quake.

In its first four hours, the account gained more than 7,000 followers. Although the translation is faulty at times, the tweets provide information about evacuations, press conferences and the country's overall welfare during this time of crisis.

Here's the first tweet:

Since the 8.9-magnitude earthquake hit Japan Saturday, social media has played a vital role in reconnecting victims with loved ones and providing real-time information about the crisis.

Will you follow @JPN_PMO? What other tools have you been using to track the situation in Japan?