Itsukushima Shrine (right) and its companion torii draw thousands of Japanese annually to Miyajima, a destination 45 minutes by boat from Hiroshima. The earthquake left both unscathed. | Alan Solomon

Fans have their fans in Sendai's Kleenex Stadium, home of the Rakuten Golden Eagles. The team's home opener was delayed more than a month by the March earthquake. | Alan Solomon

A beer vendor serves up a smile with suds in Sendai's Kleenex Stadium, home of the Rakuten Golden Eagles. | Alan Solomon

What's left of a house and stone gate in the coastal town of Higashimatsushima, near Sendai, shows the power of the tsunami that ravaged Honshu's northeast coast on March 11. The city was among the area's hardest hit. | Alan Solomon

The 260 islands in Matsushima Bay, near Sendai, are more than scenic pleasures. They create a barrier protecting some of Japan's coastal towns from tsunamis. These helped save Shiogama. | Alan Solomon

Sensoji Temple, dating to the 7th century, remains irresistible to tourists and tour groups visiting Tokyo. What's missing: tourists and tour groups from the West. | Alan Solomon

Niomon, the "Gate of Kings," provides a dazzling entry to one of Kyoto's essential sites, the Kiyomizu Temple complex. Japan's former capital was unaffected by the March earthquake. | Alan Solomon

A stone lantern and one of the country's largest toriis symbolize Miyajima, an island of temples and shrines beloved by Japanese. The site is 45 minutes by boat from Hiroshima. | Alan Solomon

Built in Hiroshima as an exhibition hall, today it's the Atomic Bomb Dome, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a reminder of what took place here on Aug. 6, 1945. | Alan Solomon