A bright flash lights up the sky, a split-second later 70,000 people have died, and 70,000 thousand more are wounded. From the Allie’s perspective the atomic bomb may have been a necessary evil, but there are two sides to every war. Though history is written by the victor; it is important to remember the Japanese perspective on the atomic bomb.
For those who are alive to remember the atomic bombing of Japan, they recall the suddenness of the event and the horror of what followed. The survivors recall the smell of burning flesh, and those who were still alive, suffering wounds—skin fried, and internally bleeding. The Japanese consider the bombings to be one of the most horrific events in their history, and understandably they do not want an atomic bombing to happen again. They consider nuclear weapons to be a “shadow” hanging over the human race, and many of the survivors actively petition for the complete removal of nuclear weapons from the world.
Additionally, because they were on the losing side of WWII, many Japanese do not see the bombings in light of the rest of the war. Although they were prepared to defend mainland Japan to the last man from a ground invasion, the atomic bomb broke their resolve. The event was just so traumatic and unexpected that the Japanese consider it almost as an act of nature. Although many more Japanese would have died in a full-scale invasion of Japan, the shocking way in which Hiroshima and Nagasaki were snuffed out changed the minds of the people. It was one thing for the Japanese to practice Bushido and meet death in battle; it was entirely different for them to die either suddenly in a flash,
or through radiation sickness. Rather than wondering why the Americans dropped the bomb on them, the Japanese wonder how something as terrible as the bombing could happen. They do not necessary blame the United States for the death that was caused; however, they do view the United States as unsympathetic to the threat of nuclear weapons. In their view, because the United States built the bomb, Americans do not accurately see the danger of the atom bomb.
Science my try to be an objective field, but there are always times when controversial work is done. In the case of the atom bomb, thousands of lives were lost. While America may be justified in the creation of nuclear weapons to end WWII, it is important to remember its effects. By remembering the past we can ensure that the ultimate weapon will never have to be more than a deterrent to our enemies.