Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes A Web Quest for Grades 3-5 By: Pat Duhon Updated by Adam Travis, Nazareth College, Rochester, NY (2008) Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr is a true story about a girl who lived in Japan toward the end of World War II. This webquest is designed to introduce you to Sadako Sasaki and her country of Japan. Find out why Sadako is a heroine to the children of Japan. The Task Before reading the book work with a partner to: • Discover interesting facts about Japan. • Make a chart comparing life in the United States to life in Japan. • Make a time line of events related to Sadako Sasaki. • Learn about when and where the atomic bombs were dropped. • Learn about the art of origami. The Process 1. Sadako lived in Hiroshima, Japan. Read about the country of Japan:

• Nature and Climate • Regions of Japan • Locate Hiroshima on a Map of Japan. Click on the Chugoku region (purple) and

make a list of four special characteristics of this region. 2. Read about Daily Life and Schools in Japan (including the Q & A) section. Think

about how life in the United States compares to life in Japan. Make a chart listing the similarities and differences in the following categories: • Housing • Food • Dress • Schools

3. Create a time line. Include the dates of the following important events:

• Japan bombs Pearl Harbor. US declares War on Japan. • Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima • Sadako born. (You will need to do a little math.) • Sadako died. • Unveiling of Sadako statue in Hiroshima Peace Park. • Unveiling of Statue of Sadako Sasaki in Seattle Peace Park.

Use the following resources to find information to complete your timeline: • The Sadako Story and Seattle Sadako Statue • Attack on Pearl Harbor

4. The United States used the atomic bomb to end the war. Write a paragraph about the bombs that were dropped. Include the following information: • Name of the target cities. • How many people died in each city? • Who or what was the Enola Gay? • Who or what was “Little Boy”? • Who or what was “Fat Man?

Use the following resources to find information for your paragraph: • Find out when and where the bombs were dropped. • Visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

5. What is origami? Ask your teacher for the materials and fold a paper crane. Evaluation When you have finished with the activities ask yourself these questions: 1. Did you list four characteristics of the Chugoku region of Japan? 2. Does your chart comparing Japan to the U.S. include similarities and differences in

the categories of: housing, food, dress, and schools? 3. Does your paragraph about the atomic bombs include information on the targeted

cities, how many people died in each city, the Enola Gay, Little Boy and Fat Boy? 4. Were you able to follow directions to fold a paper crane? Conclusion You have explored the land, culture, and history of Japan. As you read the book, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr, think about how you feel about how you feel about war.

SPRING

(Shizuoka Prefecture)

(JNTO) SUMMER

(Nandan Town)

The land area of Japan is 378,000 square kilometers, which is one twenty-fifth that of the United States (a little smaller than California), one-twentieth that of Australia, and 1.5 times that of Britain. Three-quarters of the country is mountainous, with plains and basins covering the remaining area. Japan consists of a long series of islands stretching for 3,000 kilometers from north to south. The four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Japan is surrounded by sea. Warm and cold currents flow through the seas around it, creating an environment that supports a variety of fish species. Most of Japan is in the Northern Temperate Zone of the earth and has a humid monsoon climate, with southeasterly winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean during the summer and northwesterly winds blowing from the Eurasian continent in the winter. The country has four well-defined seasons. Two of the most beautiful sights in Japan are the cherry blossoms in spring and the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows of the autumn leaves. The Japanese people enjoy these signs of the changing seasons and track their progress with weather reports, which feature maps showing where the spring blossoms and

Kids Web Japan

Web Japan > Kids Web Japan > Explore Japan > Nature and Climate

Explore Japan

Nature and Climate

Nature and Climate - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/nature/index.html (1 of 3) [06-May-08 17:15:47]

Play

Learn

Try

User Services

Site Info

● What's Cool

● Virtual Culture

● Folk Legends

● Games

● Quiz

● Gallery

● Explore Japan

● Manga

● Hi-tech

● Language

● Travel

● Meet the Kids

● Cookbook

● Kids TV

● Archives

● User Guide

● FAQ

● Feedback

● Greeting Cards

● Links

Nature and Climate - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

(Shizuoka Prefecture) AUTUMN

(JNTO)

WINTER

(JNTO)

(JNTO)

autumn leaves are at their best. The far north and south of Japan have very different climates. In March, for example, you can go sunbathing in the south and skiing in the north! The country often suffers such serious natural disasters as typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Although these disasters can claim many lives, as in the Kobe Earthquake of January 1995 and the Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake of October 2004, the Japanese have been working hard for years to minimize their damage. Japan uses state-of-the-art technologies to design quake-resistant structures and to track storms with greater precision.

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/nature/index.html (2 of 3) [06-May-08 17:15:47]

● About This Site

● Site Map

● Mail Us

● Privacy Policy

● Disclaimer

Japan has 47 prefectures. On the basis of geographical and historical background, these prefectures can be divided into nine regions: Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Each region has its own dialect, customs, and unique traditional culture. For

Kids Web Japan

Web Japan > Kids Web Japan > Explore Japan > Regions of Japan

Explore Japan

Regions of Japan

Regions of Japan - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/regions/index.html (1 of 2) [06-May-08 17:17:12]

Play

Learn

Try

User Services

Site Info

● What's Cool

● Virtual Culture

● Folk Legends

● Games

● Quiz

● Gallery

● Explore Japan

● Manga

● Hi-tech

● Language

● Travel

● Meet the Kids

● Cookbook

● Kids TV

● Archives

● User Guide

● FAQ

● Feedback

● Greeting Cards

● Links

example, the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo, and the Kansai region, which includes Osaka, offer striking contrasts in everything from the taste of food to the style of traditional performing arts, and people have fun comparing them. Japan has a total population of 127 million. This is the tenth highest population in the world. Since the population is high compared with the country's land area, the population density is high at 342 persons per square kilometer. This figure is much higher than the United States (29) and France (107) but about the same as Belgium (333). Mountainous areas account for more than 70% of Japan's land, so major cities are concentrated in the plains that account for less than 30% of the land. Cities with a population exceeding one million are Sapporo in Hokkaido; Sendai in the Tohoku region; Kawasaki, Saitama, Tokyo, and Yokohama in the Kanto region; Nagoya in the Chubu region; Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe in the Kinki region; Hiroshima in the Chugoku region; and Fukuoka in Kyushu. The capital city Tokyo, needless to say, is the hub of Japan. Other major cities fulfill roles as the political, economic, and cultural hubs of their respective regions.

●

● Web Japan

● Questionnaire

● Bulletin Board

● What's New Mail Service

● Minisrty of Foreign Affairs

Regions of Japan - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

Index

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/regions/index.html (2 of 2) [06-May-08 17:17:12]

● About This Site

● Site Map

● Mail Us

● Privacy Policy

● Disclaimer

Major Cities

(JNTO)

HiroshimaIn 1945 Hiroshima became the first city in the world to have an atomic bomb dropped on it, but it has recovered to become one of Japan's major cities. Miyajima, an island near Hiroshima, is home to Itsukushima Shrine, whose famous torii (shrine gateway) sticks out of the sea at high tide. The shrine is a World Heritage site.

Q&A

Kids Web Japan

Web Japan > Kids Web Japan > Explore Japan > Regions > Chugoku

Explore Japan

Chugoku Region

Chugoku - Regions - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/regions/chugoku.html (1 of 2) [06-May-08 17:18:00]

Play

Learn

Try

User Services

Site Info

● What's Cool

● Virtual Culture

● Folk Legends

● Games

● Quiz

● Gallery

● Explore Japan

● Manga

● Hi-tech

● Language

● Travel

● Meet the Kids

● Cookbook

● Kids TV

● Archives

● User Guide

● FAQ

● Feedback

● Greeting Cards

● Links

Q. What special characteristics does the Chugoku region have? A. With a population of around 7.8 million, the Chugoku region occupies the western tip of Honshu. Two of its five prefectures, Okayama and Hiroshima, face the Seto Inland Sea that separates Honshu from the island of Shikoku, while another two, Tottori and Shimane, are on the Sea of Japan side. Yamaguchi, at the very tip of Honshu, faces both seas. The Seto Inland Sea is the largest body of water separating the main islands. Dotted with many islands, it is noted for its scenic beauty. But belts of industry, including petrochemicals and steelmaking, have developed along its coast. In 1945 Hiroshima was destroyed when it became the first city in the world to suffer an atomic bombing, but now the city has rebuilt itself and has become the center of economic activity in the Chugoku region. The region is divided along its length by the Chugoku mountains, which support agriculture, forestry, and cattle-rearing. But there is not enough work for young people in these areas, which suffer from serious depopulation. Along the Sea of Japan side, there are plains with thriving rice and fruit cultivation. Some areas of its coast are characterized by dunes.

●

Kids Web Japan

Web Japan > Kids Web Japan > Explore Japan > Regions > Chugoku > Characteristics

Explore Japan

Regions of Japan

Index

Characteristics - Chugoku - Regions - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/regions/q7.html (1 of 2) [06-May-08 17:18:51]

Play

Learn

Try

User Services

Site Info

● What's Cool

● Virtual Culture

● Folk Legends

● Games

● Quiz

● Gallery

● Explore Japan

● Manga

● Hi-tech

● Language

● Travel

● Meet the Kids

● Cookbook

● Kids TV

● Archives

● User Guide

● FAQ

● Feedback

● Greeting Cards

● Links

Lifestyles in Japan changed dramatically after World War II, when large numbers of people moved from the countryside to the cities to make their livings as office workers. As cities grew in both size and population, more and more people commuted from their apartments or houses in the suburbs to their workplaces in central areas. While a traditional Japanese household consists of three or more generations of the same family living under one roof, urban households today tend to consist of parents and children, with grandparents living elsewhere.

A Japanese-style room with a tatami floor (Misawa Homes Co.)

Housing Traditional Japanese homes are made of wood and supported by wooden pillars, but today's homes usually have Western-style rooms with wooden flooring and are often constructed with steel pillars. More and more families in urban areas, moreover, live in large, ferroconcrete apartment buildings. Two big differences with Western homes are that shoes are not worn inside the house and that at least one room tends to be designed in the Japanese style with a tatami floor. Shoes are taken off when entering a house to keep the floor clean. The genkan, or entrance, serves as a place for removing, storing, and putting on shoes. People tend to put on slippers for indoor use as soon as they have taken off their shoes. Tatami are mats made of a thick base of straw and have been used in Japanese homes since about 600 years ago. A single tatami usually measures 1.91 by 0.95 meters, and room sizes are often measured in terms of the number of tatami mats. A tatami floor is cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and remains fresher than carpet during Japan's humid months.

Kids Web Japan

Web Japan > Kids Web Japan > Explore Japan > Housing, Food, and Clothes

Explore Japan

Housing, Food, and Clothes

Housing, Food, and Clothes - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/housing/index.html (1 of 4) [06-May-08 17:14:49]

Play

Learn

Try

User Services

Site Info

● What's Cool

● Virtual Culture

● Folk Legends

● Games

● Quiz

● Gallery

● Explore Japan

● Manga

● Hi-tech

● Language

● Travel

● Meet the Kids

● Cookbook

● Kids TV

● Archives

● User Guide

● FAQ

● Feedback

● Greeting Cards

● Links

Housing, Food, and Clothes - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

A traditional Japanese meal (The Japan Forum)

Tempura (Hisago)

Food The word for "meal" in Japanese is gohan. This word actually refers to steamed rice, but rice is such an important food to the Japanese that gohan has come to mean all sorts of meals. A traditional Japanese meal consists of a serving of plain, white rice, along with a main dish (fish or meat), some kind of side dish (often cooked vegetables), soup (often miso soup), and pickled vegetables. Japanese rice is sticky when cooked, making it ideal for eating with chopsticks. Japanese today eat many dishes from around the world, notably from Europe, North America, and Asia. In addition to rice, Japanese people eat bread, noodles, and pasta and enjoy a wide array of meats, fishes, vegetables, and fruits. Sushi, tempura, sukiyaki, and other Japanese foods famous abroad are, of course, also popular in Japan. Cities, in particular, have many fast-food restaurants offering hamburgers and fried chicken, which are especially popular with young people and children. Before eating, Japanese people say "itadakimasu," a polite phrase meaning "I receive this food." This expresses thanks to whoever worked to prepare the meal. After eating, people again express their thanks by saying "gochiso sama deshita," which literally means �It was quite a feast."

Children wearing casual, everyday clothes

Clothes The traditional dress of Japan is the kimono. Kimonos, which are generally made of silk, have large sleeves and reach from the shoulders all the way down to the heels. They are tied with a wide belt called an obi. Kimonos are now usually worn only on special occasions, such as the Shichi-Go-San festival, weddings, and graduation ceremonies. Compared to Western dress, the

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/housing/index.html (2 of 4) [06-May-08 17:14:49]

● About This Site

● Site Map

● Mail Us

● Privacy Policy

● Disclaimer

Girls dressed in yukata (Azamino Shirayuli Kindergarten)

kimono tends to limit one's movement, and it takes more time to put on properly. In the summer, however, a more easily worn, lightweight informal kimono known as a yukata is worn by children and young adults at festivals, fireworks displays, and other special occasions. In everyday life, though, young people tend to prefer clothing that is easier to move around in, like T-shirts, jeans, polo shirts, and sweat suits.

Q&A

● Why do the Japanese take off their shoes when entering the house?

● How do people take a bath in Japan?

● What are the most popular dishes among Japanese children? When families

dine out, where do they go and what do they eat?

● How big are Japanese homes?

● Do the Japanese keep pets?

● When do people wear kimonos, and how are they worn?

● What's a traditional Japanese room like?

● I've heard that the Japanese have long lives. Is that true?

● Do grandparents live together with their families?

●

● Web Japan

● Questionnaire

Housing, Food, and Clothes - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

Index

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/housing/index.html (3 of 4) [06-May-08 17:14:49]

Q. When and where were the atomic bombs dropped? A. The first atomic bomb was dropped by the U.S. military over Hiroshima, a city in southwestern Honshu -- Japan's main island -- on August 6, 1945, near the end of World War II. So far about 200,000 people have died from this bomb, including from its radioactive fallout. The second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, a city in Kyushu, three days later on August 9. So far about 110,000 people have died as a result of this bombing. Japan, the only country in the world to have suffered from atomic bombings, has adopted the "three nonnuclear principles" of not manufacturing, not possessing, and not permitting the entry into Japan of nuclear weapons. Internationally, Japan is a signatory of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and, as a nonnuclear state, was one of the first countries to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in September 1996.

●

Kids Web Japan

Web Japan > Kids Web Japan > Explore Japan > History > Atomic Bombs

Explore Japan

History

Index

Atomic Bombs - History - Explore Japan - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/history/q5.html (1 of 2) [06-May-08 17:19:49]

Play

Learn

Try

User Services

Site Info

● What's Cool

● Virtual Culture

● Folk Legends

● Games

● Quiz

● Gallery

● Explore Japan

● Manga

● Hi-tech

● Language

● Travel

● Meet the Kids

● Cookbook

● Kids TV

● Archives

● User Guide

● FAQ

● Feedback

● Greeting Cards

● Links

Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941 PF http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pfpearl.htm

1 of 3 06-May-08 16:19

Back | Print EyeWitnesstoHistory.com

Attack at Pearl Harbor, 1941

The surprise was complete. The attacking planes came in two waves;the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55. By 9:55 it was allover. By 1:00 PM the carriers that launched the planes from 274 milesoff the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan.

Behind them they left chaos, 2,403 dead, 188 destroyed planes and acrippled Pacific Fleet that included 8 damaged or destroyed battleships.In one stroke the Japanese action silenced the debate that had dividedAmericans ever since the German defeat of France left England alone inthe fight against the Nazi terror.

Approximately three hours later, Japanese planes began a day-longattack on American facilities in the Philippines. (Because the islands arelocated across the International Dateline, the local Philippine time wasjust after 5 AM on December 8.) Farther to the west, the Japanesestruck at Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand in a coordinated attempt touse surprise in order inflict as much damage as quickly as possible tostrategic targets.

Although stunned by the attack at Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Fleet'saircraft carriers, submarines and, most importantly, its fuel oil storagefacilities emerged unscathed. These assets formed the foundation for theAmerican response that led to victory at the Battle of Midway thefollowing June and ultimately to the total destruction of the JapaneseEmpire four years later.

Aboard the USS Arizona

The battleships moored along "Battleship Row" are the primary target ofthe attack's first wave. Ten minutes after the beginning of the attack abomb crashes through the Arizona's two armored decks igniting itsmagazine. The explosion rips the ship's sides open like a tin can startinga fire that engulfs the entire ship. Within minutes she sinks to thebottom taking 1,300 lives with her. The sunken ship remains as amemorial to those who sacrificed their lives during the attack. MarineCorporal E.C. Nightingale was aboard the Arizona that fateful Sundaymorning:

"At approximately eight o'clock on the morning of December 7, 1941, Iwas leaving the breakfast table when the ship's siren for air defensesounded. Having no anti-aircraft battle station, I paid little attention toit. Suddenly I heard an explosion. I ran to the port door leading to thequarterdeck and saw a bomb strike a barge of some sort alongside theNEVADA, or in that vicinity. The marine color guard came in at this pointsaying we were being attacked. I could distinctly hear machine gun fire.I believe at this point our anti-aircraft battery opened up.

"We stood around awaiting orders of some kind. General Quarters

The Japanese launched a total of 353 aircraft in the attack.

Of the eight battleships damaged during the attack, six returned to service.

Attack At Pearl Harbor, 1941 PF http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pfpearl.htm

2 of 3 06-May-08 16:19

"I suddenlyfound myselfin the water."

sounded and I started for my battle station in secondary aft. As I passedthrough casement nine I noted the gun was manned and being trainedout. The men seemed extremely calm and collected. I reached the boatdeck and our anti-aircraft guns were in full action, firing very rapidly. Iwas about three quarters of the way to the first platform on the mastwhen it seemed as though a bomb struck our quarterdeck. I could hearshrapnel or fragments whistling past me. As soon as I reached the firstplatform, I saw Second Lieutenant Simonson lying on his back withblood on his shirt front. I bent over him and taking him by the shouldersasked if there was anything I could do. He was dead, or so nearly sothat speech was impossible. Seeing there was nothing I could do for theLieutenant, I continued to my battle station.

"When I arrived in secondary aft I reported to Major Shapley that Mr.Simonson had been hit and there was nothing to be done for him. Therewas a lot of talking going on and I shouted for silence which cameimmediately. I had only been there a short time when a terribleexplosion caused the ship to shake violently. I looked at the boat deckand everything seemed aflame forward of the mainmast. I reported tothe Major that the ship was aflame,which was rather needless, and afterlooking about, the Major ordered us to leave.

"I was the last man to leave secondary aft because I looked around andthere was no one left. I followed the Major down the port side of thetripod mast. The railings, as we ascended, were very hot and as wereached the boat deck I noted that it was torn up and burned. Thebodies of the dead were thick, and badly burned men were heading forthe quarterdeck, only to fall apparently dead or badly wounded. TheMajor and I went between No. 3 and No. 4 turret to the starboard sideand found Lieutenant Commander Fuqua ordering the men over the sideand assisting the wounded. He seemed exceptionally calm and the Majorstopped and they talked for a moment. Charred bodies wereeverywhere.

"I made my way to the quay and started toremove my shoes when I suddenly found myselfin the water. I think the concussion of a bombthrew me in. I started swimming for the pipeline which was about one hundred and fifty feet

away. I was about half way when my strength gave out entirely. Myclothes and shocked condition sapped my strength, and I was about togo under when Major Shapley started to swim by, and seeing mydistress, grasped my shirt and told me to hang to his shoulders while heswam in.

"We were perhaps twenty-five feet from the pipe line when the Major'sstrength gave out and I saw he was floundering, so I loosened my gripon him and told him to make it alone. He stopped and grabbed me bythe shirt and refused to let go. I would have drowned but for the Major.We finally reached the beach where a marine directed us to a bombshelter, where I was given dry clothes and a place to rest."

References:

Five Japanese midget submarines joined in the attack. None wereeffective. One wasfound beached after the attack making its two-man crew the first Japanese prisoners of war.

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - Wikipedia, the free ency... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshima_bombing

1 of 8 06-May-08 17:21

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Hiroshima bombing)

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were nuclear attacks at the end of World War II against the Empire of Japan by the United Statesat the order of U.S. President Harry S. Truman on August 6 and 9, 1945. After six months of intense firebombing of 67 other Japanese cities, thenuclear weapon "Little Boy" was dropped on the city of Hiroshima on Monday[1], August 6, 1945, followed on August 9 by the detonation of the "FatMan" nuclear bomb over Nagasaki. These are to date the only attacks with nuclear weapons in the history of warfare. [2]

The bombs killed as many as 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 80,000 in Nagasaki by the end of 1945, [3] roughly half on the days of the bombings.Since then, thousands more have died from injuries or illness attributed to exposure to radiation released by the bombs.[1] In both cities, theoverwhelming majority of the dead were civilians.

Six days after the detonation over Nagasaki, on August 15, Japan announced its surrender to the Allied Powers, signing the Instrument of Surrender onSeptember 2, officially ending the Pacific War and therefore World War II. (Germany had signed its Instrument of Surrender on May 7, ending the warin Europe.) The bombings led, in part, to post-war Japan adopting Three Non-Nuclear Principles, forbidding that nation from nuclear armament. [4]

Contents

1 The Manhattan Project1.1 Choice of targets

2 The Potsdam ultimatum3 Hiroshima

3.1 Hiroshima during World War II3.2 The bombing3.3 Announcement of the bombing in audio3.4 Japanese realization of the bombing3.5 Post-attack casualties3.6 Survival of some structures

4 Events of August 7-95 Nagasaki

5.1 Nagasaki during World War II5.2 The bombing

6 Plans for more atomic attacks on Japan7 The surrender of Japan and subsequent occupation8 Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission9 The Hibakusha

9.1 Korean survivors10 Debate over bombings11 See also12 Notes13 Further reading

13.1 External links

The Manhattan Project

The United States, with assistance from the United Kingdom and Canada,[5] designed and built the first atomic bombs under what was called the Manhattan Project. The scientific researchwas directed by the American physicist, J. Robert Oppenheimer. The Hiroshima bomb, a gun-type bomb called "Little Boy", was made with uranium-235, a rare isotope of uranium. Theatomic bomb was first tested at Trinity Site, on July 16, 1945, near Alamogordo, New Mexico. The test weapon, "the gadget," and the Nagasaki bomb, "Fat Man", were bothimplosion-type devices made primarily of plutonium-239, a synthetic element.[6]

Choice of targets

The Target Committee at Los Alamos on May 10–11, 1945, recommended Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama, and the arsenal at Kokura as possible targets.

Hiroshima was described as "This is an important army depot and port of embarkation in the middle of an urb an industrial area. It is a good radar target and it is such a size that a large partof the city could be extensively damaged. There are adjacent hills which are likely to produce a focussing effect which would considerably increase the blast damage. Due to rivers it is nota good incendiary target." The Target Committee stated that "It was agreed that psychological factors in th e target selection were of great importance. Two aspects of this are (1) obtainingthe greatest psychological effect against Japan and (2) making the initial use sufficiently spectacular for the importance of the weapon to be internationally recognized when publicity on itis released. In this respect Kyoto has the advantage of the people being more highly intelligent and hence better able to appreciate the significance of the weapon. Hiroshima has the

The mushroom cloud overHiroshima after the dropping of

Little Boy

The Fat Man mushroom cloudresulting from the nuclear

explosion over Nagasaki rises 18km (11 mi, 60,000 ft) into the air

from the hypocenter.

Map showing the locations ofHiroshima and Nagasaki, Japanwhere the two atomic weapons

were employed

Wikipedia is sustained by people like you. Please donate today.