Pars Today – Japan commemorated the 80th anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Tokyo during World War II, which resulted in approximately 100,000 deaths in a single night.
Last week, a memorial ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Tokyo during World War II was held in the Sumida Ward area of Tokyo. The event was attended by two Japanese imperial family members, the Tokyo governor, and some survivors of the attack. This area holds the remains of many victims of the aerial bombardment.
According to Pars Today, in the early hours of March 10, 1945, American B-29 bombers dropped incendiary bombs on Tokyo, targeting its most densely populated areas.
In this attack, around 270,000 residential units were destroyed by fire, and at least 100,000 people were killed, though the exact number of casualties from this savage assault remains unknown. However, the bombing of Tokyo was not the only U.S. attack on Japan; Hiroshima and Nagasaki were also targeted.
Here are three painful events influenced by American crimes in Japan:
1. In a millionth of a second, heat turned everything into vapor
During the U.S. attack on Hiroshima, in the first millionth of a second, thermal energy was released into the atmosphere, transforming an area with a radius of 1.5 kilometers into a fiery inferno. Temperatures reached several million degrees Celsius for a few seconds, setting the sky above Hiroshima ablaze.
On the ground, when the heat wave arrived, temperatures soared to several thousand degrees Celsius. Within a 1.5-kilometer radius, everything instantly vaporized and turned to ash. In an area spanning four kilometers, buildings and people suddenly caught fire. After the heat came the shockwave, which had devastating effects. Due to the release of extremely hot gases, the blast wave traveled at 1,000 kilometers per hour, acting like a solid wall of air that reduced everything within a two-kilometer radius to dust.
Official statistics indicate that about 70,000 people melted and died instantly, while tens of thousands suffered severe burns and injuries, enduring immense suffering before succumbing to their wounds days, months, or even years later.
2. Genetic mutations and abnormalities
Following the atomic bombings, 70,000 newborns in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were examined. In Nagasaki, between 500 and 800 infants were checked in their homes. At the time, no evidence of genetic damage was observed. However, in 2008, new studies were conducted on survivors and their children, revealing definitive genetic mutations and DNA abnormalities. These studies employed advanced techniques to detect DNA damage.
3. The shadows of Hiroshima
After the explosion in Hiroshima, terrifying shadows of people, bicycles, and objects were etched onto streets, now famously known as “The Shadows of Hiroshima.” Some believe the bomb’s intensity burned these shadows into the ground. However, science explains that these marks existed before the bombing, and the massive bombs obliterated the surrounding colors, leaving behind silhouettes resembling the shadows of terrified humans.
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