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David Cameron has said he has "no doubt" Japan will recover from the "colossal" damage done by the tsunami, which is feared to have killed more than 10,000 people.
"We were all deeply shocked and saddened by the devastation we have seen and by the loss of life," he told the House of Commons this afternoon.
"The devastation we are witnessing in Japan is of course of truly colossal proportions."
The prime minister said that while no British citizens were reported to have been killed so far there were "severe concerns" about a number of Britons known to be in Japan at the time the tsunami hit.
Cameron told MPs that the government had offered humanitarian assistance to Japan and had flown a 63-strong search and rescue team to the affected area.
He added: "Japan and Japanese people are a resilient and resourceful nation. Britain and the British people are you friends. We have no doubt you will recover."
Ed Miliband said the Labour Party "fully supported" the government in its efforts to help Japan.
"The tragedy that has hit the country is of unimagined horror and scale," he said.
But he cautioned against a knee-jerk reaction against nuclear power in the wake of explosions at Japanese nuclear plans.
The Labour leader said Britain should "avoid a rush to judgement" as we have a good safety record in this country.
Japan's 'worst crisis since the Second World War' deepened this morning following a second explosion at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Energy secretary Chris Huhne has said his department will be seeing what if any lessons can be learned from the Japanese experience for existing and future British nuclear plants.
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