On August 6, 1945, the B-29 bomber Enola Gay, drops an A bomb
called Little Boy, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. With a power of 13 kilotons, the bomb decimates the city
in a few seconds. 3 days later, the city of Nagasaki
in turn suffered nuclear fire. These two explosions
who changed history, mark the end of the Second
World War in the Pacific. A bloody conflict
who opposed far from Europe, a fanaticized Japanese army and Americans
sure of their power. Summary of the fights:
More than 3 million dead and a country almost entirely devastated. 70 years after the war, Japan rose again
and erected on its territory, monuments to never forget. Behind the modernity of cities
now completely rebuilt, traces of these episodes
terrifying of history, still remains to be discovered. On the islands of Okinawa where
the Americans landed, or around towns
from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, scientists and enthusiasts
dedicate their lives, to update the latest
remains of the war. During their investigation,
they discover traces, who testify
the violence of the fighting, of the fate reserved for civilians during
the last months of the war, or terrible damage
caused by nuclear weapons. Analysis of these objects
which resurface from the past, told in a new light
these few months of 1945, who precipitated
the fall of imperial Japan and brought humanity
in a new era, that of possible total annihilation. In 1942, Japan
of Emperor Hirohito, is at the peak of its power. Allied with Nazi Germany
and to fascist Italy, his empire expands
from North China to Korea, passing through Indochina,
the Philippines and most of Southeast Asia. Driven by its desire for expansion, the Emperor wants to affirm
its influence on the region. Without even having declared
the war in the United States, he launches a raid on the base
from Pearl Harbor to Hawaii, fleet headquarters
American in the Pacific. On December 7, 1941, Admiral Yamamoto sends
6 aircraft carriers and 400 planes on Pearl Harbor. For the Americans, the surprise
is total and the toll is terrible. 2,400 soldiers killed and part
of the destroyed fleet. The day after the attack
of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt said
a speech before Congress. He denounced the Day of Infamy
and declared war on Japan. The Americans considered
that it was an unfair attack and they wanted to take their revenge. This attack allowed
Roosevelt to overcome, the feeling of many Americans
who preferred that the United States, stay out
of the war in Europe. To avenge Pearl Harbor, the American army is working
to reconquer the Japanese empire, islands by islands. Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Saipan, the Philippines. The battles follow one another
and the Japanese soldiers retreat. For the Americans, a landing
in Japan is the last stop, of this inexorable reconquest. After the famous battle of Iwo Jima, the American command
finally aims for Okinawa, subtropical islands located
just south of the Japanese archipelago. They decide to throw the biggest
assault on the Pacific campaign. Code name: Operation Iceberg. From the end of March to June 1945, naval forces,
amphibious and aerial, support the landing on the ground. Nearly 290,000 American soldiers
are mobilized, against 130,000 Japanese. The Okinawa archipelago had importance
strategic for the United States, because it allowed Japan to be cut off
of all its bases scattered in Asia. It also allowed the American army
to have a launch platform, to invade the main islands
from Japan. 70 years after the events, hard to imagine hell
who lived for 3 months, this little corner of paradise. Yet the fighting left
behind them indelible traces. One of them is located on
the heights of the city of Naha, capital of the island today
populated by 300,000 inhabitants. It was here that in 1944,
the Japanese navy, had built its headquarters. Buried 30 meters below the ground, this underground mini city
is still perfectly preserved. The place consisted of a tunnel
main 420 meters long and narrow secondary tunnels. On the walls, we can distinguish
the traces of pickaxe blows, with which the tunnels were dug. This underground was
dug over five months, between August and December
from the year 1944, by more than 3,000 soldiers
infantry. The men took turns day and night, while some were working,
the others were resting, in municipal buildings
near. The HQ could accommodate
more than 4,000 soldiers. Non-ranking officers were housed
along the secondary tunnels, in tiny rooms,
without any comfort. Inside they were
forced to sleep standing up. A little further away was
the staff room. On the walls, we can still see
dozens of holes. In June 1945, six senior officers
committed suicide, with grenades to avoid
to be taken prisoner. The shards of the explosions left
their footprints in the rock as witnesses of the commitment
Japanese troops, preferring to die rather than fall
in the hands of the Americans. At the heart of the HQ was the room
of command, the most beautiful in the bunker, busy with command
of the Japanese navy in Okinawa, Vice-Admiral Minoru Ōta. It is here that at the end of the fighting,
he killed himself, probably with a gun, after writing on the wall
these few lines, a poem that sums up in itself
his blind devotion, to the Japanese Emperor. In Japanese there is what we call
farewell poems, those we write before we die. It is written, fighting me
until death for the emperor,
I would have given meaning to my life. With the staff and means
spectacular, deployed by the Americans, the invasion of the archipelago
seems inevitable. In March 1945, the GIs began, by seizing the small Kerama Islands. On April 1, they disembarked
on the West Coast, from the main island of Okinawa. They only encounter resistance
very weak and overcome easily from the center
and the north of the island. It is in the south, where there are
hundreds of natural caves, that the Japanese resistance
will get organized. 187,000 soldiers were
ready to disembark. They encountered no resistance
from the Japanese forces. She hid in the caves, because she thought it was
the best way to defend yourself and turn their weakness into an asset. To counter the power
American fire, the Japanese wanted to wait
Americans in caves and inflict maximum damage on them. The forest of southern Okinawa
was therefore the theater, one of the most violent
battles of the Pacific. It is here that thousands of soldiers
Japanese have retreated, for their final fight. This is a fortress
where the Japanese army ambushed, awaited the enemy, rifle on his shoulder. Once the army has
crossed this line, the entire island will be
in the hands of the Americans. The troops present here have had the order
to fight to the death, to defend this base at all costs. Photojournalist and amateur archaeologist,
Tetsuji Hamada, conducts his own excavations
in Okinawa for fifteen years. In the heart of the jungle,
he manages to find traces, of the army defense system
Japanese that have stood the test of time. You have a cavity here
which we called an octopus trap. Where were the soldiers hiding
of the imperial army. There were probably 1 or 2 soldiers, who could fit there. From this height, they could
wait for the enemy to arrive to shoot. At the bottom of the hole, a recess
allowed the soldiers, to be invisible from the surface
in case of enemy arrival. Hundreds of cavities have been
dug by soldiers in the forest, to take the Americans
by surprise. Set back from these holes, Tetsuji also found
a vast network of trenches. Here we have a trench in
which the soldiers were moving. She had to do between
1.30 m and 1.50 m deep. Thus, the soldiers could
move around in a squatting position, without being seen by the enemy. But Japanese soldiers, even
entrenched in this plant labyrinth, are no match for
to the American armada. On this front line,
the last before the ocean, the Japanese fall
one after the other. Tetsuji Hamada finds remains
soldiers in almost every trench. Look, there's one here. And that too. They are all broken. It must have been bombed. It's impressive. That's a femur. Everything is in pieces, poor guy. The soldiers here must have died
taking a bomb head-on, which propelled them against the rocks. The condition of the scattered bones
suggests that they were, directly affected by the explosion. For several weeks,
the fighting rages. The Japanese know
perfectly on the ground and places to retreat. But the Americans
are in a hurry to end it, to dislodge them from their hiding place,
they put in place methods, as effective as they are cruel. The new investigation area
by Tetsuji Hamada, reveals the stubbornness of both camps. It is a limestone cave. Japanese soldiers buried themselves
in the deepest guts, only going out to launch raids
against American troops. Alongside Tetsuji Hamada, 130 original students
from all over Japan, came to help him
in his excavation work. This is a survival ration that the
Japanese soldiers kept with them. She probably has
was burned with a flamethrower, because it is all charred. There is also this bone
found in the same place, who also has
completely charred. We can clearly see the difference
with this one. These food rations and his bones
bear the marks of the flamethrower. This weapon, used massively
by the Americans, during the Battle of Okinawa, remained engraved
in the memory of the inhabitants. Here, as in many caves, soldiers and sometimes civilians, end up asphyxiated or burned alive. Before the assault, the Americans
sometimes ask soldiers and Japanese civilians to surrender
with the help of an interpreter. But those who only speak the dialect
from Okinawa do not understand. Especially the Japanese had
instructed to die, rather than surrender. This is an army grenade
Japanese Imperial. The soldiers each had two, one to attack the enemy
and the other to kill himself. When we do excavations,
skulls are sometimes found, whose jaw
is completely exploded. This is explained by the fact
that he was killing himself, squeezing the pomegranate
against them, like this. Tetsuji proposed to Kiku Nakayama,
a survivor of the battle, to come and watch the excavations. At the time she was a teenager
and was committed in the nursing brigade
from his high school. Now aged 86, she agreed to return
in the cave, where she lived for 3 months, to tell his memories
terrifying to students. On the left wall there was
a row of bunk beds, which continued to the bottom. On the right, it was a corridor
which allowed movement. This is where they were lying
the soldiers we had already operated on. And further on, there was the room
where operations were carried out. There was a wooden table there
where a reclining adult could stand. Nothing else. I don't remember being
lying down when I was here. I was leaning against the wall like this, to breathe a little before hearing
another injured scream. I was surprised to see how
man could survive, under such conditions. The only meal was a small
rice ball, nothing more. Associated with the stories of Kiku, the objects found
are witnesses again, living conditions of soldiers
Japanese during the fighting. Some of them are placed in
the personal museum of Isamu Kuniyoshi, a friend of Tetsuji Hamada
and an enthusiast, who conducts his own excavations
for 60 years. On the shelves, guns, bombs, anti-personnel mines, grenades, an impressive number of weapons which demonstrates the intensity
fights during the 3 months, of the Battle of Okinawa. Among the most
personal items from his collection, plaques of hundreds of Japanese,
but also Americans. They are often the only memories
soldiers who fell at the front. It says Yama N3475. It's an identification plate. All the soldiers saw each other
assign a number. Only the officers had their
full name engraved on this plaque, unlike the soldiers
which only had one number. Here the Yama N3475. So there are only officer plates
which can be returned to families. Isamu Kuniyoshi was six years old
during the Battle of Okinawa. He too was subjected
to the propaganda of the imperial regime. It is particularly sensitive
to objects that remind us, this generalized regimentation. I found this bowl in 1998, in a cave which served as a hospital. We see the soldiers there
who set off on the charge. This is not a military object,
but just a bowl of rice, used by civilians. Actually,
It’s even a children’s bowl. This type of drawing was
made to make them understand, let the soldiers fight
for the homeland. I don't think there was a big
difference between military and civilians, on recruitment. They followed the same education
and those who joined the army took another layer. In the Battle of Okinawa, many people
were summoned by the army and were trained as soldiers
over a very short period, before being sent to the front. At the time, everyone was
potentially military. While the fighting
rage on the ground, another decisive battle
takes place at sea. Several destroyers and aircraft carriers
American and English, cross offshore
to support the landing. To counterattack,
the Japanese headquarters, choose a tactic
terrifying and desperate, sending suicide bombers. In April 1945, the command
Japanese coordinates, the largest suicide attack
of the Pacific War. Just in Okinawa,
more than 1,400 kamikaze pilots, are sent crashing
on the enemy fleet. From the end of 1944, the strategy of the suicide bombers was
probably the only way left. It's an inhumane strategy
from which no one returns. These were not attacks carried out
in a burst of supercharged fanaticism. On the contrary, I think that the suicide bombers
left in peace, of a person who simply goes
take his responsibilities. The Japanese started this war
knowing that they would lose her, but they said to each other if we can
inflict enough losses on the Americans, we will be able to negotiate capitulation
and ensure the maintenance of the emperor. Off the coast of Okinawa, several boats still lie
sunk by kamikaze planes. Jan Weirauch is a professional diver, of German origin and installed
in the archipelago for several years, he knows perfectly
the seabed of the region. Today he goes to explore
a wreck from the Battle of Okinawa, the USS Emmons. During WWII, this 106 meter long destroyer
was one of the flagships, of the United States Navy. In June 1944, he participated
to Operation Overlord and supports the landing in Normandy. It is then converted into a mine sweeper
and sent to Okinawa, to participate in Operation Iceberg. And this is where his destiny changes. The wreck is in good condition because there is
very few divers who come here. It is quite deep,
45 meters underwater, so you have to be experienced
to go there. The wreck was only discovered in 2001 by
Japanese coast guards and fishermen. The fishermen had noticed
traces of oil in the sea and they called the coast guard who
spotted something with sonar. The wreck of the USS Emmons
lies north of Okinawa, off the coast of Kouri Island. The destroyer is lying on its side. On the ship, we can distinguish
perfectly traces of his military past. On the bridge, several batteries
anti-aircraft guns, are still in place. Close to the rear are
depth charge launchers. This defense system was among
the most efficient in the fleet. Yet,
the destroyer will not be able to resist, to a devastating kamikaze attack. On April 6, 1945, five Japanese planes, hit him simultaneously. The first 2 hit the backcourt
and destroy the propeller and rudder. The third hits the post
starboard side communication, just in front of the mast. The fourth reached the destroyer, one
level above the third impact, port side. The last plane, finally,
crashes at the front, right in front of number one gun. Next to the wreckage still lies the engine, from one of the Japanese devices
which hit the ship. On the evening of April 6, 1945, the destroyer is out of service. The next day, the Americans
prefer to sink it themselves, rather than see it fall
in the hands of the Japanese. After the discovery of the wreck, a plaque was attached to the ship. She pays tribute to everyone
sailors who fell in battle. Of the 254 crew members, 52 are dead or missing. Almost all were reservists. Over the weeks, military losses pile up
American and Japanese side. But soldiers are not the only ones
pay with their lives for the invasion of Okinawa. Feeling that defeat is near, the Japanese command decides
to encourage civilians, to commit suicide. The propaganda carried out against
the Americans consisted of saying, that it was better to kill yourself, rather than being captured by the enemy
who would then enjoy torturing you. This propaganda,
which was well rooted in Saipan and in the other islands, not only resulted in
the soldiers, but also civilians,
to kill oneself, throwing himself off the cliff
or by blowing himself up with a grenade. Many people
died this way. On the island of Tokashiki, Yoshikatsu Yoshikawa
agrees to testify, from this black page
of Japanese history. He takes us to the precise location
where the authorities of his village, brought together the inhabitants, this day in March 1945, to organize their collective suicide. He was six years old at the time. It was shortly after the landing
Americans. Planes and shells were flying
over his head. We have come since
our air raid shelters so far, following the river. When I arrived here, it was already crowded with people and people
formed groups by families. Shortly after, the mayor shouted: “Long live the Emperor!” My 16 year old older brother
who worked at the town hall, came towards us with two grenades
in hand and told us: “Our turn to do it.” We gathered in a circle and my brother typed
the grenade against a stone, before throwing it among us. But even after five seconds,
ten seconds, the grenade did not explode. My brother took second
and did the same, but it didn't explode either. My mother said
to my big brother Yusuke: "Throw those grenades
and follow your cousins. Now is not the time to die.” Yoshikatsu and his mother manage
to run away, but the little boy's father is
fatally hit by grenade shrapnel. Like him, nearly 400 inhabitants, found death
during this absurd day. Driven to suicide,
caught in crossfire, or enlisted in the army, civilians paid
the high price in Okinawa. It is estimated that 140,000 inhabitants
lost their lives during the battle, or more than the soldiers. In total, losses in Okinawa, amount to 220,000 Japanese and 12,000 Americans
in barely three months of combat. The names of the dead from both camps
are inscribed on the steles, of the Peace Memorial. These colossal losses
had an immediate impact, on the aftermath of the war. Okinawa will ultimately
the last battle, of the Pacific campaign. The Americans assessed the losses
of this battle of Okinawa and they thought that an attack
of the main islands of Japan, was going to be extremely
costly in human lives. And at that time the war was
completed in Europe in May 45. And the United States just wanted
bring their men home and if possible not in a coffin. American command
change strategy. He refuses to land on
the main islands of Japan. Its objective, to accelerate the bombardment
massif of the archipelago, to force the Emperor to capitulate. During the first six months
from the year 1945, 67 cities are hit
and largely destroyed, including Tokyo. In August 45, it will be the turn
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to be reduced to ashes
by a new weapon, which will forever change the face of the world, atomic bomb. The reason why the United States
launched 2 atomic bombs, so close
in Japan remains the subject heated debates
still. First there is the explanation
traditional. Truman dropped the bomb
to end the war quickly and save 1 million
of American lives. There are also many
other explanations. One of them is that the atomic bomb
was the start of the Cold War. To show Stalin
that the Americans, had a new miraculous weapon, which would make the United States
the only superpower. For this final bombardment, the United States wants to inflict
maximum damage to the enemy. They hesitate between five cities. Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Kokura, Niigata and Kyoto. All had been carefully
spared from regular bombardments. It will ultimately be Hiroshima, a city of 350,000 inhabitants and an important military center. According to archival documents, the American army was looking for
a sufficiently large city and with a fairly flat surface
and cleared, to test the capacity
of this new weapon. They also chose cities, who had not yet
been bombed until then, to assess the impact
of the atomic bomb. On August 6, 1945, at 2:45 a.m., the B-29 Flying Fortress,
baptized Enola Gay, takes off from the base
American from Tinian, in the Mariana Islands. At 8:15 a.m., the plane dropped on Hiroshima, the first atomic bomb
Of the history. In a few seconds,
the city is reduced to nothing. Nearly 70% of buildings
are destroyed and around 140,000 people are killed. A terrible assessment which can be explained by
the position chosen by the Americans, to detonate the bomb. On the day of June 6, the plane arrives
above Hiroshima, at an altitude of 9,600 meters. Its target is the Aioi bridge, chosen for its T shape, easily recognizable
from the sky. At 8:15 a.m., he dropped his bomb, slightly off the initial target, vertically from Shima Hospital, located 300 meters from the bridge. We will call this point
the hypocenter or Ground Zero. In a few seconds,
the explosion of the Little Boy bomb, decimates the city. The damage extends over a surface
of 12 square km. If the effects of the bomb
are also devastating, it's because it explodes
not on the ground, but at altitude. A precisely determined altitude
to maximize damage. Little Boy explodes at 580 meters. It generates a first shock wave, which spreads like a ball of fire. This wave is then reflected
to the ground and creates a second wave, which in turn spreads
at very high speed and ends up merging
with the first. This principle is called
the Mach Stem effect. From the moment when both
shock waves add up, they create a powerful background,
parallel to the ground, which razes everything in its path. After the explosion, the Mach Stem effect
wanted by the Americans, almost destroyed all the buildings. However, one of them,
the dome of Genbaku, held. Built in 1915 in bricks
and in concrete and not in wood, like the buildings
traditional Japanese, this industrial exhibition center
was topped with a dome, steel framed
and covered with copper. 25 meters high, it was
a landmark in the landscape, for the residents of Hiroshima. If it doesn't completely collapse
during the explosion, is that it is located
very close to the hypocenter, 150 meters to the northwest. Too close to take the blast
horizontal pest, of the Mach Stem effect, he is affected
almost vertically. And its solid concrete pillars
manage to resist, to the forces that apply
from top to bottom. Extreme temperatures
due to incandescent gas, calcine anything that can be burned. The 140 people
which are inside, are killed instantly. The copper of the dome
melts instantly, but its steel structure, concrete and bricks
heat resistant. This is why part
of the building remains standing, amid the rubble. 70 years later, the Genbaku dome
is still there. The authorities decided
to keep it, in his State of 1945. He became
the symbol of the city and was listed as heritage
world of UNESCO. Today he is one of the only
buildings dating from the explosion. The rest of the city
was completely rebuilt. Rebun Kayo is a medical researcher, marked by an encounter
with a Hiroshima survivor, when he was a teenager, he quickly became interested in the remains
that the bomb left behind. For 13 years he has been driving his own
Archaeological excavations and still manages to find
the last traces, of that terrible day in August 1945. Accompanied by his former
Professor Takashiro Sateda, he explores the bed
of the Motoyasu River, located at the foot of the Hiroshima dome. - I found one. It's an angle. A fairly rare piece. Rebun can carry out his excavations
only in the early morning or evening, when the river bed drops
under the effect of the tide. Water at less than ten degrees, slippery pebbles
and covered in sludge, excavation conditions
are painful. But Rebun still manages
to find some nuggets. Like this tile that covered
a house near the dome. A perfectly two-tone tile, as if one of its sides had
been covered with paint. It's a tile that melted under
the effect of the heat of the explosion. We can distinguish the part which was
covered with that which melted. It is said that the heat released
by the atomic bomb, reached 4,000 degrees
for two seconds. It left this kind of mark
uniform on the tiles. This is a good way to recognize
objects from this period. In thirteen years of hard work, Rebun Kayo found
dozens of stones, having belonged to the Hiroshima dome. Carefully crafted pieces
which suggest the finesse, of the former palace of industry. The past decades
under water left traces, like these oyster shells
numerous in the region. The most beautiful piece comes from
from the upper part of the building. This 300 kilo block must have been
out of the river, using a crane. It alone proves the power
of the explosion. In 1955, the city of Hiroshima, erected the Peace Memorial
to display objects dating from the explosion. Place of memory and contemplation, the museum collected
more than 20,000 objects brought back by the survivors
or found during excavations. Vestiges that tell the story, each
in their own way, bombing. A frozen watch
at the exact time of the explosion. The bike and the helmet
charred child, The tattered clothes of a schoolboy, or this box of rice from a young boy
mobilized for work in town and who will never eat his meal. There is also this section of wall
on which we still guess, 70 years later,
the shadow of a bomb victim. This reconstruction filmed
after the explosion, shows how man
who should have been seated, to wait for the opening
form the bank, left this mark on the ground. The atomic explosion frees
such a bright flash, that it discolors all surfaces. Everywhere, except where there were
objects or people. An exhaust pipe, a pipe valve. A flowerpot prints like this
shadows on the ground for years. In town, the bomb explodes
atomic destroys 18 hospitals and 32 clinics. 90% of medical staff
died or was injured. No one to take
care of survivors, sometimes seriously burned. The greatest confusion reigns
amid the rubble. But off the coast of Hiroshima,
a small island was spared. Ninoshima Island. This is where they will be transported
thousands of injured, after the bombing. Rebun conducted research there to
discover the last remains, of this time. The buildings have now disappeared, but during World War II, the island welcomed
a major military hospital. Here there was an establishment
quarantine, where the returning Japanese soldiers, came to receive a medical examination, to check that they were not
carriers of a disease. There was the same type
establishment for horses, who also left
on the front during the war. The one who was in the location in front
The army horses welcomed us. Today,
buildings were destroyed and the vegetation covered everything. Rebun still manages to bring to light
the old foundations, from the military hospital. It is here that in 1945, were transported
the injured after the explosion, often in critical condition. In terms of coverage
and medical equipment, this establishment had the capacity
to accommodate 5,000 people. But from the first night, after
the bomb, everything had been exhausted. It is said that around 10,000 injured
would have been brought here. The few survivors explain
that it was a nameless horror. The wounded were brought
to receive care, but medications and others
equipment is no longer sufficient, many died
without ever receiving the slightest care. Rebun dug for two months, at the location of the old center
quarantine for horses. He could not extract from the ground
just a few objects, a vial, a comb, a pipe, shirt buttons, or a belt buckle. I guess she was left there
when the bones were recovered. This is my first find. It takes me back to a touching memory, because she is the one who made me
realize, that I found myself on a land
where men died and were buried. On the island of Ninoshima, most of the survivors
do not survive. No funerals here
nor a last tribute. Some of the victims
is cremated in this oven, where were once burned
dead horses. The others are buried in staggered rows, in pits by soldiers. Since then, hundreds of bodies
were dug up and transported, in the tomb of the unknown victims
at the Hiroshima Memorial. At the time of the explosion,
the Little Boy bomb, releases a huge amount
of radioactivity which spreads over the city
an insidious evil. Vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss. Many residents who escaped
explosion or fire, will later die of diseases. Today, radioactivity
returned to its natural level. To find traces of the effects
atomic bomb pests, you have to go to the Foundation
for research, on the effects of radioactivity. This is where the files are kept
medical treatment for thousands of survivors. Created by the Americans in 1947, under the name of Commission
on the victims of the bomb. The center has now become
a Japanese-American foundation, managed by both nations. Since the war and until today, survivors of Hiroshima
go there regularly, to monitor their state of health. Here we measure the size
and the weight of survivors. We give them a questionnaire
on their state of health and their family history, as well as an x-ray, of the rib cage
and an ultrasound of the heart. The Commission left very bad
souvenirs to the Japanese. During the post-war period,
while Japan, is under American occupation. The center is accused of treating
the survivors like guinea pigs. In a context of occupation
by the Americans, I was told that survivors
were taken by force to the center and that the first years
were difficult. But since the group of survivors
was established in 1958, after the end of the occupation. I assure you that the survivors
grant their participation voluntarily. The foundation also kept
carefully biological samples taken from survivors. Around 1 million samples
blood and urine, to observe the impact of
radioactivity on the human body, the immune system and cells. Some are kept
under coverslip since 1947, others, more recent,
are kept in liquid nitrogen, to -195 degrees Celsius. Here are blood cells
survivors. They are kept here
in these liquid nitrogen tanks, for decades, so that we can use them, for future research. We are carrying out studies on the system
immune and more particularly, the functioning of white blood cells. This is the largest
epidemiological study, on the effects of radioactivity. Most of what we know
today on cancers and other pathologies caused
by radioactivity, comes from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I think the survivors
of the atomic bomb, felt mistreated. They came to this American center
in the hope of being treated, but instead,
they were treated like guinea pigs. Today, it has given way
to the idea that their sacrifices, should not be in vain
and they say to themselves: "Yes, I was exposed,
yes, I suffered, but with a little luck,
the world will learn the lessons of the horror of the atomic bomb and my body will provide
the proof. Despite the toll of Hiroshima, Emperor Hirohito
refuses to capitulate. Just three days later
the first atomic bomb, the Americans decide
to strike Japan again. Three days apart. That didn't leave time for
Japanese to assess the damage and develop a response. The researchers say
that the Americans, dropped the bombs quickly
because they wanted the Japanese, surrender before the Union
Soviet enters the war and demands an occupation
joint of Japan. On August 9, 1945, at 3:49 a.m., a new B-29 plane takes off. On board, Fat Man. A plutonium bomb
even more powerful, than the one dropped on Hiroshima. His target is the town of Kokura. But once arrived in the area, clouds have gathered
above the region. B-29 pilot cancels shot and then heads towards the second
city on his list, Nagasaki. The initial target is
in the heart of the city center, very close to the port. But on this August morning, the sky is slightly
veiled and the pilot, drops the bomb in the wrong place. At 11:02 a.m., Fat Man explodes
three kilometers further, above the Urakami Valley. Like in Hiroshima, the shock wave
spreads parallel to the ground and devastates everything in its path. But they find themselves blocked by
hills surrounding the valley. The most populated part
of Nagasaki is spared and the main damage
are located around, from the hypocenter of the explosion. In the Urakami Valley,
the damage is considerable. Eight square kilometers destroyed
and 75,000 deaths. Today,
the city was rebuilt, but Ground Zero remains a place
particularly moving memory. Some remains remind us
the scale of the disaster, like this sacred door,
cut in two. In Nagasaki, it's a cathedral
which symbolizes the bombing. Urakami Cathedral. It was located only
500 meters from the hypocenter. Today, statues recovered
in the rubble, are on display in front of the new building. At the time, it was one
of the most important churches in Asia. Nagasaki was then the center
history of Christians in Japan, especially Catholics. Shigemi Fukahori is one
of the faithful of the parish. This August 9, 1945, he works on construction sites
naval of the city, located three kilometers
from the hypocenter. But in church,
activity is in full swing. August 15 is the day of
the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and many believers
were present, to prepare for the event
and confess their sins. As it was the holidays, 15 children came
at the church and 2 priests, to carry out confessions. All died inside as a result
to the bomb explosion. I was convinced that the church had
held up like it was a building, big and strong before coming back here. But arriving at point zero,
the view was desolate. That's when I noticed that we don't
could no longer see the church steeples. I told myself that there was
no more hope for my house. On August 9, 45, the cathedral is hit
whipped by the blast of the bomb. She is pulverized. After the explosion, the statue
of Christ has returned. Part of the facade
and some sections of walls, still standing, overlooking
an apocalyptic landscape. The rest of the building is on the ground, including the bell tower
who rolled down the hill. Today he was left
at the same location. Huge witness to the explosion, as if embedded in the middle of the city. The church was rebuilt, so that worship continues and for
remember the centuries of persecution, Christians in Japan. Among the remains
who resisted the explosion, there is a particular room, the one who gave hope
to the faithful of the parish. The face of the Virgin Mary, now nicknamed
the Virgin bombed. The statue was discovered
by a priest from Hokkaido, who kept it for himself before
to return it 30 years later. We once thought that these eyes
were made of crystal, but I think it was glass. They melted. But only the eyes melted and the rest of the wooden face
was preserved. It's a miracle. This is surely the way
of which Mary wanted to tell us, how bad the war was. The names of the faithful who died in
the bombing are registered, in this room in front
the bust of the Virgin. Of the 12,000 Christians
from the Urakami valley, 8500 were decimated
by the Fat Man bomb. Among them, the three brothers
by Shigemi Fukahori. Michiaki Ikeda does it too
part of the survivors of the bomb, still alive. They are called hibakusha. They are the ones who carry
their body and their memory, the history of the atomic bomb. He takes us to the roof
from the university hospital, where he was during the day
where Fat Man exploded. A hospital was rebuilt
at the same location. On the day of the explosion, Michiaki Ikeda is six years old. His mother works in construction
as a caregiver, only 700 meters away
from the hypocenter. With my friend Shige, we were looking for
something to do for fun. And that day we went up
on the roof of the hospital. After a while, Shige
then asked to go back down. He explained to me that he had a desire
urgent to go to the toilet. This pressing desire has certainly
saved the lives of the two boys. A few more minutes on the roof and they would have been blown up and burned. Michiaki and Shige take
the elevator and when leaving, their world turns upside down. When we arrived
on the ground floor, the doors opened. We went out
from the elevator and there, a very powerful light flashed
and made me lose consciousness. After a certain time,
a burning smell and the crackling of a fire
made me regain consciousness. But in spite of opening my eyes,
I didn't see anything. It was all black. His friend Shige is alive and sight
Michiaki eventually returns. But the horizon is still
blacker on the outside. The city is completely destroyed. Michiaki finds himself face to face
to the shredded building, like all hibakushas
still able to move, they flee to the mountain
to escape hell, which fell on Nagasaki. He eventually reached this little temple
on the heights of the city. A refuge of tranquility
which was then transformed, in a survivor camp. On the way, Michiaki warns a woman, than the baby she carries on her back, is no longer alive. The woman then went down
the baby from his back, put it in front of her to shake it
calling him by his name. But got no response
because he was already dead. She put it on the floor
and broke down in tears. It was the first time
that I saw an adult crying. I didn't know how to react. Michiaki survived the bomb
without an injury and without side effects. A miracle according to doctors. But the details of this day
of August 9, 1945, will remain forever anchored
in his memory. After this double atomic bombing, Emperor Hirohito
announces capitulation unconditionally from Japan. More than 100,000 Japanese had
already found death, in the bombing
from Tokyo on March 10, 1945. An equivalent bombardment
in terms of human losses, to those of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. But even though,
the imperial headquarters, always intended
to go all the way. With Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the fact
that as many Japanese citizens, were killed with a single bomb. I think the headquarters
finally realized, that we had to stop sacrificing
even more innocent people. Hiroshima and Nagasaki obviously
precipitated the surrender of Japan. But another factor was at play. August 9, the same day as Nagasaki, Stalin decides to invade
Manchukuo, a state controlled by Japan. All Japanese generals knew
what happened to the Tsar of Russia, during the communist revolution. If they really wanted
save the Emperor, the last thing they wanted
was to let Stalin, jointly occupy Japan. It would have been a threat
much larger. So the surrender to the United States
was considered a lesser evil and because of the atomic bomb,
the soldiers were able to save face. In a way, they didn't have
lost on the battlefield. At the end of a murderous war, the fall of Imperial Japan made
enter the country into a new era. The emperor lost his divine character and Japan became a democracy. 70 years later,
the work of archaeologists and the testimony of survivors, remind us at what cost this nation
new one was built. Japan sacrificed a generation
full of soldiers and civilians, to his dream of grandeur and its population was exposed, to the most destructive weapon
of humanity. The steles erected in honor
of these victims, are there to pay tribute to them, just like the traces that bear witness
of their sacrifice, or the emaciated buildings
left intact, in the heart of rebuilt cities. Safeguarding these remains
and the collection of speech, of the last living witnesses
allow us to reconstitute, a black page of history, so that new generations
never forget these days of August 1945, where the atomic bomb destroyed, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
