Nipponica

Oshiro, 84, who survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and now resides in Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture, has lived in Okinawa since the year after World War II ended. Under U.S. rule until 1972, Okinawa lagged behind the Japanese mainland in providing support for hibakusha, or atomic bomb survivors. For many years, Oshiro did not speak about her experiences. What changed that was her connection with other hibakusha on the island.

Everyone should read the whole article to not only understand the life of an atomic bombing survivor but also the discrimination they faced in the decades after the war.

Twin cathedral bells rang in unison in Nagasaki for the first time in 80 years on Saturday, commemorating the moment the city was destroyed by an American atomic bomb.

The two bells rang out at Immaculate Conception cathedral, also called the Urakami cathedral, at 11.02am, the moment the bomb was dropped on 9 August 1945, three days after a nuclear attack on Hiroshima.

The imposing redbrick building, with its twin bell towers atop a hill, was rebuilt in 1959 after it was almost completely destroyed in the monstrous explosion just a few hundred metres away. Only one of its two bells was recovered from the rubble, leaving the northern tower silent. With funds from US churchgoers, a new bell was constructed and restored to the tower.

When talking about the atomic bombings of Japan, we often relegate Nagasaki to an afterthought following Hiroshima. But they both need to remembered as equally dark days for humanity. Never may we drop to this low again as a species.

Americans expressed mixed views on whether the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were justified, a survey by a U.S. research group showed Monday, signaling a possible change in the country's prevailing view that the attacks were necessary to bring a quick end to World War II.

The nationwide survey, conducted by Pew Research Center, revealed that 35 percent of American adults think using nuclear weapons in 1945 was justified, while 31 percent thought otherwise. A third said they are not sure.

The troubling thing here is that if you combine the 'pro-nuke' cohort with the 'dunno' one, it is still a clear majority that are either clueless or in support of mass civilian death.