I heard from my cousin in Tokyo - she and her two brothers are safe - more importantly, her mom & dad (my aunt & uncle) who live in Iwate prefecture much closer to the epicenter are ok. Still waiting to hear about my father in law - he is on the coast of Hokkaido in a tsunami warning zone. Hokkaido doesn't seem to be in as bad shape as the area around Sendai, but I would still like to hear that he is safe...
Phone contact is sporadic - I heard a rumor that phone lines were shut down by the government for emergency use only, I just heard a report on NHK news that a lot of cell phone companies are still out of commission, but some people are managing to get in touch. I have a lot of friends in Japan or with family in Japan on facebook, and it's a relief when they check in with messages that they or their families are ok.
UPDATE: just heard this morning - my wife's family members in Hokkaido are ok!!!