JAPAN AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR

H ir o s h im a is th e u n fo r tu n a te c ity o f J a p a n w h e re th e U n ite d S ta te s o f
A m e r ic a d r o p p e d its fir s t n u c le a r b o m b a t th e fa g e n d o f th e S e c o n d W o r ld W a r .
A n e n tir e c ity w ith its te e m in g in n o c e n t p o p u la tio n w a s c r u e lly e x te r m in a te d .
P e o p le th a t s u r v iv e d th e tr a g e d y w ith in ju r ie s liv e d th e r e s t o f th e ir life w ith tr a g ic
s u ffe r in g s a n d tr a n s m itte d th e g r ie v o u s d e fe c ts o f th e n u c le a r r a d ia tio n to th e
n e x t g e n e r a tio n s . T h e U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e r ic a r e s o r te d to th is d e a d ly w e a p o n
fo r th e fir s t tim e in th e h is to r y o f th e m a n k in d a t th e e n d o f th e S e c o n d W o r ld a fte r
b e in g c o n v in c e d th a t J a p a n w o u ld n o t g o d o w n a n d a c c e p t d e fe a t u n le s s it
r e s o r ts to s u c h a d r a m a tic m e a s u r e . In d e e d , th e e ffe c t w a s lig h te n in g a n d J a p a n
s u rre n d e re d s o o n th e re a fte r.

T h e e v e n t o p e n e d th e e y e s o f th e w o r ld to th e d e s tr u c tiv e p o te n tia litie s o f

th e n u c le a r b o m b a n d th e v u ln e r a b ilitie s o f th e m a n b e fo r e its d e s tr u c tiv e p o w e r s .
T h is s in g le e v e n t is th e h a r b in g e r o f a ll la te r e ffo r ts a t th e n o n -p r o l i f e r a t i o n o f
n u c le a r w e a p o n s o n th e fa c e o f th e E a r th . S a d ly , th e p r o life r a tio n is c o n tin u in g
th o u g h in a s lo w e r p a c e w ith m o r e a n d m o r e c o u n tr ie s b e c o m in g n u c le a r p o w e r s
w ith N o r th K o r e a b e in g th e la te s t e n tr y to th e d u b io u s c lu b a n d p e r h a p s Ir a n , th e
n e x t. T h e U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e r ic a a n d R u s s ia h a v e n u c le a r w a r h e a d s s u ffic ie n t
to d e s tro y th e w o r ld m a n y tim e s o v e r a n d th e U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e r ic a is
s u r m is e d to h a v e s to c k p ile d a b o u t te n th o u s a n d n u c le a r w a r h e a d s .

J a p a n is a n a tio n o f c o m m itte d a n d d ilig e n t p e o p le . It w a s a p o w e r fu l a n d

p r o s p e r o u s c o u n tr y u n d e r its m o n a r c h a n d o n a w in n in g s p r e e in S o u th E a s t A s ia
a n d B u r m a in th e S e c o n d W o r ld W a r till it w a s h u m b le d b y th e c o m b in e d fo r c e s
o f th e A llie s a t th e fa g e n d o f th e w a r . N u c le a r b o m b s o f th e U n ite d S ta te s o f
A m e r ic a o n th e c itie s o f H ir o s h im a a n d N a g a s a k i fin a lly b r o u g h t J a p a n to its
k n e e s .
 T h e p e o p le o f J a p a n a r e k n o w n to b e a v e r y a m b itio u s s e t o f p e o p le . T h e
U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e r ic a d e c id e d to h e lp J a p a n to r e b u ild fr o m th e d a m a g e th e y
w r o u g h t o n it a n d o ffe r e d n u c le a r p r o te c tio n o n th e a s s u r a n c e th a t J a p a n w o u ld
d e s is t fr o m th e n u c le a r p a th . It lib e r a lly h e lp e d fo r its r e c o v e r y a n d r e s to r a tio n a s
a n in d u s tr ia l g ia n t. It w a s a w o r th s p e n d in g fo r th e U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e r ic a a s
J a p a n b e c a m e a n e n d u r in g a n d lo y a l fr ie n d a n d a lly o f th e U n ite d S ta te s o f
A m e r ic a to p r o te c t th e la tte r ’s in te r e s ts in E a s te r n A s ia a n d o n th e P a c ific O c e a n
a n d a c tiv e ly p a r to o k in th e Ir a q W a r in fa v o u r o f its p a tr o n . A ls o , J a p a n is th e k e y
o f th e U n ite d S ta te s o f A m e r ic a in its m a n o e u v r e s a g a in s t th e r is in g p o w e r o f
C h in a in A s ia .

J a p a n e s e a r e k n o w n fo r h a r d w o r k a n d v e r y in te llig e n t. H o w e v e r , b r a in
d r a in is c a u s in g p r o b le m s in th e b e s t u tilis a tio n o f its m a n p o w e r a n d its
p o te n tia litie s . J a p a n l i e s o n a n e a r t h q u a k e -p r o n e r e g i o n o f A s i a . I t r i v a l s e v e n
S u m a tr a in th is r e s p e c t. S a n s b u ild in g p r o p e r c o n s tr u c tio n s fo r d w e llin g a n d o th e r
p u r p o s e s , life is u n s a fe in J a p a n . T h e m in is tr y in c h a rg e o f a r c h ite c tu r e o f
b u ild in g s is h e lp in g p e o p le in th e c o n s tr u c tio n o f r o b u s t b u ild in g s th a t c a n
w ith s ta n d th e r e p e a t o n s la u g h t o f th e te c to n ic p la te s fro m d e e p b e n e a th th e
s u r fa c e o f th e E a r th .