A surreal calm and orderliness descended on Sendai yesterday, the area believed hit hardest by Friday's earthquake and tsunami.
People were seen strolling leisurely along roads while others walked their dogs under a clear sky. Buildings in the downtown area looked largely intact.
Only the thick black smoke that billowed over the outskirts of the city from still-blazing airport buildings served as a reminder of the disaster that has killed hundreds across the northeastern part of the country.
The damage here was largely invisible. But the city has been without water and gas. People lined up for water, which was rationed, and there were long queues outside the few convenience stores and supermarkets that remained open. Many said they had waited for up to three hours for food and supplies.
The power supply had resumed and the internet stayed connected.
A photographer and I arrived in the city at about 8am yesterday - after a 12-hour ride. But as we travelled further, what we saw in Sendai did not prepare us for the devastation that we were about to witness.
