<Begin Segment 16>

MU: Now, kinda jumping ahead, but, have you gone back to Hiroshima since then?

GK: Yes. I've gone a couple times. And then, after coming back, I went back to Japan again about five years ago. Hiroshima (was then) a thriving city. The places which was bombed out and leveled to the ground (was now filled) with high-rise buildings. (...) I went around, but I couldn't see any scar of war anymore, except at the epicenter --

MU: Still there.

GK: Still there. Kept as the memorial (...)(site.)

MU: Back in 1945, could you imagine that Hiroshima could rise up like that?

GK: No, I thought, "Gee, people are saying that Hiroshima will be gone for a hundred years." So... well, not believing it, but then I thought, "Yeah, it'll take a long time, because actually there was nothing." And looking at the people, there was no spirit, fighting spirit, or "Go For Broke" type atmosphere among the Japanese there.

MU: Yeah, it's all gone. Now, some people say that -- this is a controversial question -- some people say that, "The bombs were not necessary," and other people say that, "It saved lives because it ended the war." Do you have any feelings on that, about that?

GK: Well, I think that it's not necessary in retrospect only. (However) at that time, just before the bomb was dropped, Japan was willing to fight to the last minute. And, there were women, even high school girls were trained with the bamboo sticks -- cut off at the end to make a spear. And they were all trained to attack the airborne American troops, just as they land, they (would come) out of hiding and annihilate all the Americans. And that was the spirit. And they were all... I believe Japanese were going to do it. And then in Kumamoto, not too far from the Kumamoto castle, there were about seven diehard rightist Japanese (who) committed suicide because of the defeat. But they encouraged other people to resist until the last man. And I could see that Japan was ready to resist any invasion that came in. So, atomic bomb --

MU: Ended all that.

GK: Ended all that. And then Emperor spoke up in time, that, "If this is the way it's going to be, there will be millions and millions of innocent children and women (...) destroyed." So, I (think) that was a wise decision, maybe only decision he could (have made). I don't know. So, I think that the atomic bomb was a lifesaver.

MU: On both sides?

GK: On both sides, uh-huh.

MU: You know, I have kind of mixed feelings about that. I keep wondering why they dropped it in the middle of the city where the people who are going to be hurt are the ordinary people...

GK: As to the decision, the judgment as to where to drop, we have a lot of questions. Why did they drop it on Hiroshima, with wide open space and atomic bomb could have full effect? Nagasaki was surrounded by a mountain, and where they dropped it in Nagasaki, whole (area) was destroyed, but just beyond the mountain range (remained) untouched. But Hiroshima had no such natural protection. So whole town was wiped out. So as to why they dropped it there... I read some literature about why it was dropped. They were headed for Yokohama and Tokyo. But then, something happened and they had to drop it before reaching (their destination.) I don't know what kind of credit to give to that report.

MU: Oh, or that theory. But I guess, when you went back -- five years ago -- to Hiroshima and saw all that re-building, and modern design --

GK: Oh, modern design, and you can't tell the war had ever visited Hiroshima.

MU: Kinda made you feel good, huh?

GK: Oh yes, I think so. And then that reaffirmed my conviction -- the indomitable spirit of Japanese. They may be (...) finished, (...) but they'll rise again from the ashes. And Hiroshima did really rise, rose again from the ashes.

MU: The ashes, yeah. Literally from the ashes.

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.