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Survey Activities under the Occupation
The Special Committee for the Investigation of A-bomb Damages and Japan-US Joint Commission
After August 30, when the supreme commander of the General Headquarters General Douglas McArthur arrived at the base in Atsugi, the allied occupation began to take shape.
When the Manhattan District Survey Team, the organization that developed the bomb entered Hiroshima, General Headquarters issued an order to the Japanese government to cooperate with the investigation. That help was forthcoming.
Later, various American survey teams investigated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and in the process, most of the film, photographs and other records generated by the Japanese were confiscated by the Americans.
Meanwhile, the Scientific Research Council of Japan established the Special Committee for the Investigation of A-bomb Damages. The reports issued by this network of leading Japanese researchers were all confiscated by the Americans. A Japan-US Joint Commission was created between the US Army and Navy Military Doctor Team and the Medical School at Tokyo Imperial University. On this team, Japanese and American researchers cooperated to study the A-bomb damage together.
However, as American occupation policy grew ever more restrictive, Japanese researchers lost the freedom to announce their findings.
These restrictions remained in place until the San Francisco Peace Treaty went into effect in April 1952. During all that time, presentations of research related to A-bomb damage by Japanese researchers were strictly prohibited. This control effectively halted the investigations.
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Activities of the American Survey Teams (Manhattan District and Army-Navy Medical Teams)
The Manhattan District Survey Team, dispatched by the organization that developed the bomb, and the US Pacific Army Medical Survey Team worked together to do a medical report on A-bomb damage. When it was decided to send a 15-man team headed by General Farrell to Hiroshima, GHQ ordered the Japanese government to cooperate.
In response, Army Major Motohashi and Professor Tsuzuki of Tokyo Imperial University, who were still conducting investigations in Hiroshima, were called back to Tokyo, where they joined and assisted the American survey teams. The American teams arrived at the air base in Iwakuni on September 7 and entered Hiroshima on the 8th. They received help from the Japanese military and government agencies.
On September 8, Major General Farrell's group arrived in six airplanes, landing at Atsugi Air Base then heading for Hiroshima. After arriving in Hiroshima, they went by a bus prepared by the Naval Base to the Chugoku Military District Headquarters.
The US team was accompanied by Tokyo Imperial University Professor Tsuzuki and Major Motohashi of the Medical School. They served as guides and helped to interpret the findings of previous Japanese investigations. Professor Tsuzuki is the Japanese in the back center of this photo apparently offering an explanation.
Accompanying this survey team was Dr. Marcel Junod of the Swiss Red Cross. At his request, the Occupation provided 15 tons of medical supplies.
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The US Survey Team and Tokyo Imperial University Professor Tsuzuki examining patients at Hiroshima Ono Army Hospital
September 11, 1945
Courtesy of Mainichi Shimbun
Kyoto Imperial University Survey Team presenting the results of their autopsies to a US Survey Team
Hiroshima Ono Army Hospital
September 11, 1945
Courtesy of Mainichi Shimbun
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Establishment and survey activities of the Special Committee for the Investigation of A-bomb Damages
The Ministry of Education on September 14 decided in a Scientific Research Council of Japan to establish a Special Committee for the Investigation of A-bomb Damages to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the damage done by the A-bomb. The Ministry issued notification regarding the investigation of the A-bomb disaster on the 15th.
According to the notice, the situations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were to be investigated "with the full scientific capacity of our nation." The nature of the investigation was declared to be "pure, objective science." It also promised that "the findings will be reported promptly to all interested parties" and used to "stabilize the lives of the people in those communities."
Led by Haruo Hayashi, who had chaired the committee comprised nine working groups, including physics, chemistry, geology, medicine, etc. The largest of these was the medical working group, which boasted 33 commission members, 150 researchers, and 1,500 assistants. It was a massive project.
The results were published by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science in 1951 (Atomic Bomb Casualty Investigation Report Summary) and 1953 (Atomic Bomb Casualty Investigation Report)
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The Special Committee for the Investigation of A-bomb Damages arriving at Gokoku Shrine to begin their studies.
October 15, 1945
Taken from Record of Scorched Earth by Nihon Eiga Shinsha
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The Physics, Chemistry, and Geology Team studying granite in the graveyard of Sairenji Temple near the hypocenter.
October 15, 1945
Taken from Record of Scorched Earth by Nihon Eiga Shinsha
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Yukio Miyazaki and Masao Ikeda, members of the Physics, Chemistry, and Geology team, are shown here measuring radiation near the hypocenter
October 6, 1945
Photo by Shigeo Hayashi
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Eizo Tajima, member of the Physics, Chemistry, and Geology Team, investigating a shadow burned onto the plate of the look-out tower on the roof of the Hiroshima Union Trust Bank (Enkobashi-cho)
September 24, 1945
Taken from Record of Scorched Earth by Nihon Eiga Shinsha
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Hiromi Nakayama of the Biology Team taking samples of plants near Gokoku Shrine
September 26, 1945
Taken from Record of Scorched Earth by Nihon Eiga Shinsha
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Shinryu Obuchi, a member of the Biology Team, collecting worms near the hypocenter
September 26, 1945
Taken from Record of Scorched Earth by Nihon Eiga Shinsha
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Members of a Tokyo Imperial University team led by Professor Tanaka of the Civil Engineering Team surveying the effects of the blast on the Aioi Bridge
October 14, 1945
Taken from Record of Scorched Earth by Nihon Eiga Shinsha
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Members of the Medical Team from Tokyo Imperial University led by Dr. Masaya Araki performing autopsies at Kusatsu Elementary School.
October 13, 1945
Taken from Record of Scorched Earth by Nihon Eiga Shinsha
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Establishment and activities of the Japan-US Joint Commission
On September 22 a group led by Professor Takeo Nagamiya of the Medical School at Tokyo Imperial University, met at the Medical School with US military medical personnel. The US side requested cooperation with certain medical aspects of the investigation, which led to formation of a Japan-US Joint Commission. (The US side called it the Joint Commission.)
The Japanese members of this team were mainly selected by Professor Tsuzuki and included 36 researchers and 21 medical students from various sections of the Medical School. Koichi Muraji participated from the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research. Assistance came also from the (Japanese) Army Medical School and Tokyo Army Hospital.
The Hiroshima Unit of the Joint Commission included 10 Americans under Mayor Mason and 37 Japanese. They entered Hiroshima on October 12, beginning their work at the Ujina Branch of the Hiroshima First Army Hospital.
US doctors and Japanese doctors on the joint survey team examined survivors together.
The first investigation by the US team ended in September 1946. All accumulated material was shipped back to the US.
The findings of the American side of this joint survey were published in November 1946 under the title, Medical Effects of the Atomic Bomb in Japan. The Japanese side published Atomic Bomb Casualty Investigation Report as a project of the Scientific Research Council of Japan.
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Inspections conducted at the temporary home of the Hiroshima Railroad Bureau in Ujina
November 7, 1945
Collection of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
The employee dormitory of Daiwa Rayon Factory used as a laboratory for the joint survey team
Date of photo unknown
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Publication of damage surveys obstructed
GHQ ordered a press code on September 19, 1945, to control newspapers and other publications. Subsequently, news reports and all literature regarding the atomic bomb were carefully censored because it was deemed that they would "disturb public order in Japan."
It was necessary to obtain prior permission before presenting any research related to the atomic bomb.
This step was heavily influenced by the desire to manage all information regarding America's new atomic weapon. Prior censorship of publications was gradually phased out, but the press code remained in place until the peace treaty went into effect in 1952.
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Mr. Masao Tsuzuki's censored paper in General Medicine Vol. 2 No. 14
September 8, 1945
Collection of Hiroshima Municipal Archive
Donated by Masakazu Tsuzuki
Text regarding the action of a forth force (after heat, blast and radiation) was censored by GHQ.
The censored part had to do with "...whether or not this bomb was purposely designed to spread toxic gas is at this point ..."
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