all that s left is that pile of broken timber. the sea wall offered little protection. the water had been channelled into an inlet. its force concentrated. this 82-year-old man told me the water had burst down an alleyway into his home. we left him, picking through a lifetime of belongings. i walked a mile inland. even here, the water had scattered cars. look how this car has ended up, and you can see how deep the water had been. even this far from the sea. an oil depot, alight for two days is left to burn. locals say fire crews can t get access to put it out. shortages are bringing the city of sendai to a standstill, petrol queues stretch for miles. water mains are cracked. people bring what they can to fill up at stand pipes. and supermarkets set up shop in car parks.