A tipster let us know about this remarkable email that was sent to Digg's Kevin Rose from a friend and Apple employee in Tokyo detailing Apple's swift and ample support during the Tohoku Earthquake and subsequent 118 aftershocks on Friday. The company was not only a comfort to hundreds of stranded residents who flocked to their store in Tokyo's shopping district, but Apple was also a thriving lifeline to hundreds of its stranded employees and their families.

When the earthquake first hit, the Tokyo Apple store became a hub for stranded citizens to watch the news on USTREAM and contact their families via Twitter, Facebook, and email, as there are almost no other free wifi spots in Japan. It remained open for seven hours:

Staff brought out surge protectors and extension cords with 10s of iOS device adapters so people could charge their phones & pads and contact their loved ones. Even after we finally had to close 10pm, crowds of people huddled in front of our stores to use the wifi into the night, as it was still the only way to get access to the outside world.