When the bomb fell on Nagasaki days later, she said her grandparents were shocked, but for those closer to the bomb site in Hiroshima, there was more focus on survival. For days, her grandfather had to eat sweet potatoes because they could not cook anything else. There was nothing to use for preparing food.
Knowing her grandparents had been there and seen its effects, I asked how they felt about the bomb, and if they had any major opinion. "They say that both America and Japan were bad. They were angry at both. If there wasn't the war, they would not have had this problem. They just wish for peace now, I think" she explained to me. I asked what she and her friends felt about the bomb, growing up in an area where they could see the after effects. She thought for a moment before explaining. "I think it was not necessary, we can live without the bomb. Even though it was not necessary, I think Japan is affected positively now. Because it happened in the past, we know we can live without it. The past is good, but I think the war could have ended differently."
For Hikaru, she learned firsthand about the atomic bombs from survivors, visiting the peace park and seeing documentaries filmed in her hometown. Her family is extremely lucky to be survivors of the bomb, especially without having effects like leukemia, which is common for those who were directly exposed to the explosion's radiation. She discussed how she would worry about being affected. "Sometimes, it was scary to think about. That the bomb could have made us sick." Even so, she stuck to her answer that Japan benefits now from the atomic bomb dropping, explaining as best she could, that the incidents of the past were not needed, but there are still positive outcomes.
