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Japanese Students Use VR To Recreate Hiroshima Bombing

On this day (August 6th) in 1945, the allied forces dropped the first ever atomic bomb attack on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It was a nice warm, sunny day. One perhaps not too dissimilar to the one we’re having today. Following the end of the war in Europe, while Japan was likely also going to lose, the national pride demonstrated that Japan still had no intention of surrendering. It left the allied forces with a difficult decision. Either attempt a mainland invasion of Japan or drop the atomic bomb. As history goes, for better or worse, they chose the latter.

Ever since people have debated the merits of the attack (and subsequent 2nd bombing in Nagasaki). While some have claimed it was necessary to force the Japanese to surrender, others simply view it as a muscle move by the US. One that may have been done not only to end the war but to put the already difficult Soviet Union on the alert. American had the bomb, they didn’t.

While you can argue the merits of the attack, it’s pretty clear that the results were horrific. It’s for such reasons that despite these attacks being over 70 years ago, we have never used an atomic weapon in anger since. Something to be very grateful for!

To commemorate and educate people on the attack though, a group of Japanese students have looked to recreate the attack with the use of VR technology.

VR Technology

Over the last two years, the survivors have been looking to re-create the city before and after the bombing. The before is clearly difficult. Frankly, there are so few people left alive today (overlooking those who died in 1945) to corroborate the accuracy of the project.

In a report via The Star, Yuhi Nakagawa of Fukuyama Technical High School has said: “When I was creating the buildings before the atomic bomb fell and after. I saw many photos of buildings that were gone. I really felt how scary atomic bombs can be. So while creating this scenery, I felt it was really important to share this with others.”

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, no images from the VR experience are currently available. It is hoped though that the project, when completed, will release so that people can see it for themselves. It does, however, highlight one of the best educational uses of VR I have heard to date. Particularly of what is essentially a dying history since so few participants of WW2 are still with us.

What do you think? Would you like to try out this VR experience? Do you think it’s a great subject to utilise VR technology for? – Let us know in the comments (and spare a moment if you can to remember those lost).