Hiroshima's 'Atomic' Trams - Working Survivors of the 1945 Bomb

Following the 6 August 1945 atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima, the city was largely destroyed, yet within three days, some of the city's trams were running again! And, 79 years later, three of the trams that survived the bomb are still running, including two on daily services! Find out the full story here...
Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.o...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Sources:
- 'Hiroshima’s Reconstruction and Trams “ Other Cities War-damaged Trams”', Hiroshima for Global Peace, www.hiroshimaforpeace.com
- 'The Trams of Hiroshima', www.twosecondstreet.com
- 'A-bombed tram in Hiroshima runs same route as 75 years ago' by Sonoko Miyazaki, Asahi Shimbun, 6 September 2020
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; @JapanRailway; hiroshimaforpeace.com; jazz cool; Khws4v1; Taisyo; Zairon; John Leeming; Tom Page; Mjobling; Galmkuro; GFDL; Darinsz Jemielniak

[@memespeech]

Dude just wanted to make a video about his obsession with trams, but he has a ww2 channel.

[@gdj11]

As a Canadian living in Hiroshima i have to admit that i love the transit system here. Easy to use and always on time. My late father worked on the railway in Canada and lamented the loss of passanger rail there. Every timevi take a train or tram here i think about him.

[@NVRAMboi]

"Love ya, Dad."

[@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606]

It’s unfortunate private passenger rail service disappeared in the US and Canada but the governments wouldn’t deregulate even at the early signs of the railroads struggling. Now we are stuck with Amtrak and VIA unfortunately

[@stickynorth]

@@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606 CN and CP only want cargo because it's highly profitable. Passenger service? Not so much.. Which sucks because almost all of modern Canada is based on railroad settlements...

[@nb2008nc]

The only country that has worse rail service than the US is Canada

[@alukuhito]

I'm a Canadian living in Japan too. My dad probably would've loved to work on the railway, but instead he was a model railway enthusiast and basically liked anything about trains. I often think about him when I see the amazing train infrastructure in Tokyo and around the rest of the country. He visited Japan once, but before I lived here, so at least he saw a bit of it.

[@Patrick_Cooper]

Damn, learning things from Mark is like the best teacher you ever had, without having to sit in a classroom. Thanks Mr. Felton...

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

He's a Doctor too. A highly intelligent and vastly educated academic, Doctor Felton is indeed an amazing teacher. We are blessed to have such an incredible resource given to us for free. People would, and do, pay significant sums of money for such a teacher.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

You wont hear the real truth about the Atomic bombs from him, he is CIA ruled as most public persons.

[@Jim-o1g2j]

Yes Mark Felton is a gem among historians. Those of us who are history buffs could hope to attain something similar. But not likely!

[@susanbelida6981]

❤Thank you Mark. Very interesting information as always!!

[@sebastiencz3931]

I don't think there could be a better proof of Japanese's work ethic more astonishing than the Hiroshima Trams operating again within a few weeks of a literal atomic blast. Mesmerizing anecdote. I'm sure that the transportation company even issued a formal apology to their customers for the service interruption.

[@glenchapman3899]

In times of crisis the ability of people to rise to almost heroic levels is pretty common

[@sebastianyepes8154]

Actually on the third day 5:25 (of course not all the tram fleet) Anyway the point that you mentioned is impressive how this culture is so hardworking

[@brettbuck7362]

It's also that the mere mention of "atomic" or "nuclear" didn't freeze everyone in terror. People today have a wildly overblown notion of how dangerous atomic materials are. They deserve respect, but you are not going to keel over and die the instant you get an alpha particle bounces off you.

[@imadequate3376]

​@brettbuck7362 people would be surprised by how many Alpha and beta particals they are exposed to. Radiation is everywhere. Depending on the sensitivity of the gieger counter you can even pick up low amounts but slightly higher than background radiation on rocks, concrete, floors, basically anything that may have picked up a little thorium and you'll get a little ping off it.

[@umineko0123]

I am Japanese born in Hiroshima. As you can see on the map, just south of Hiroshima is the city of Kure, the largest military port and home to both naval and army bases in Japan at the time. Immediately after the atomic bomb was dropped, rescue teams were immediately dispatched, but many soldiers died from acute radiation exposure, just like the suicide squads in Chernobyl. They are the unsung heroes.

[@PeterTheodore91]

I watched a Japanese news last year, they brought a lady who used to be a tram conductor in Hiroshima and amazingly the tram she drove is still exist. She was 16yo in 1945, she still remember how to operate it and gives a demonstration to the reporter. Really amazing news especially she told a story how she find her first love in tram

[@Stellaris556]

Also watched the same interview by John Daub of Only in Japan as well

[@garykubodera9528]

Im a Disabled US Army Veteran and my wife is from Nagasaki Japan. About 30yrs ago in the early 90's when I traveled to Nagasaki to ask her parents if I could marry her, one of the most interesting things I noticed was the city trolly service. It was the same cars that were used from the war time peroid as they just repaired and repainted them over the years. The layout of the line was very convenient to use when traveling through the city proper and had service every 10-15min. The other thing that struck me was the fare, only 100¥-that price had not changed since the late 40's!! Thanks again for reminding me of that experience all those years ago in Nagasaki. 😃

[@hullutsuhna]

I was about to point out that 100 yen in late 1940s was probably a rather big amount of money, then I went to check the exchange rate vs. USD in late 40s & after quick math 100 yen would have been between $0.50 and $5 USD (yen fell from 66 yen to dollar in the first half of 1946 to 600 yen to dollar in 1947) in 1994 depending on the exact year and month in late 40's chosen for comparison, so I guess it could very well be true.

[@umineko0123]

I am Japanese born in Hiroshima. Although Hiroshima is a metropolis of over 1 million people, it is possible to get to almost every major part of the city by streetcar, and to Miyajima, home of the world-famous Itsukushima Shrine, by JR, which offers high-speed travel. The streetcars running in the city are diverse, ranging from very old-fashioned ones with a tasteful sound and vibration to the latest high-technology ones, so train fans can enjoy themselves all day long! When you get to ride an old streetcar, you will feel like you have stepped back in time! After seeing the Atomic Bomb Dome, Miyajima is a nice place to visit, but you should also visit the museum of the "pride of the Japanese people," the world's largest battleship Yamato, in Kure City, just to the south! The battleship Yamato has been very active in space as the "Space Battleship Yamato"!

[@mattaustin2128]

Hiroshima’s tramway system has 35.1 kilometres (21.8 miles) route length. Melbourne’s tramway system has about 250 kilometres (160 miles) of route length. 😊 Oh, and I loved ‘Star Blazers’ as it was called in Australia!

[@TheMDJ2000]

Melbourne's tram network is far larger and also has a few historic trams running around, I believe from the 1920's.

[@gneusch7917]

I had the privilege to study abroad last year in Hiroshima and I am still in awe of how amazing and straightforward the transportation was! I was able to see Kure and Onomichi. I am very thankful to have been able to see these places because of how accessible the transportation was.

[@douglaseuritt3919]

@douglaseuritt3919 0 seconds ago My maternal grandfather was a US Marine in the theater and saw up close and personally how intensely the Japanese military fought for every square inch of territory the Allies were trying to retake. In fact, he was among the first to enter Tokyo Bay when Task Force 31 captured the HIJMS Nagato. To top it off, he lived in Independence Missouri-the same town Harry Truman lived in! (I was born and raised there as well and my Mother would take me to the Truman residence on Sunday mornings where-on occasion-President Truman would walk out to the fence line and greet us!) I think my grandfather was torn over whether the first A bomb should have been detonated in demonstration somewhere other than a city so the Japanese government could ponder the true nature of the weapon but he never doubted the immense cost in human lives that a traditional invasion of the home islands would have required. RIP Gramps, you were my most important Mentor.

[@RUHappyATM]

I don't know about your GF. But if the Japanese didn't/wouldn't surrender after Hiroshima, would he think they would surrender after a demonstration of the A-bomb without civilian casualties?

[@vanceb1]

I saw an interview with a Japanese/America guy who fought in the Japanese army in WWII. He was a US citizen and was visiting relatives in Japan when the war started. He was drafted into the army immediately. He survived the war and ended up on Okinawa. When they were told the war had ended and that Japan had surrounded they were stunned. They had been told they were winning and they believed it 100%. If the US had nuked a remote city the Japanese government would have covered it up and not told their citizens. They would have kept fighting.

[@longiusaescius2537]

@RUHappyATM they did want to surrender multiple times before, with a condition of keeping the monarchy, USA refused

[@RUHappyATM]

@@longiusaescius2537 What does unconditional mean to you?

[@longiusaescius2537]

@@RUHappyATM unconditionally

[@marshalleubanks2454]

The aim point for the Hiroshima bombing was the unusual T-shaped bridge (the 3-way Aioi Bridge, 相生橋). This was chosen as its unusual shape was readily recognizable from the air. The actual ground zero was 240 meters to the South East, not far from the Atomic Dome memorial, and if you are in front of the Dome, you can easily see the bridge. The bombing was an air burst, and structures roughly underneath it were pushed down by the blast, instead of being knocked over. The bridge was thus pushed down a little but survived the blast, and was rapidly put back into service. Amazingly, it remained in use until a new bridge (still t-shaped) was built to replace it in 1983.

[@bngr_bngr]

The hypocenter of the explosion was Shima Hospital there is a small monument in front of the hospital.

[@marshalleubanks2454]

@@bngr_bngr Yes, I saw it when I was in Hiroshima, but I didn't remember the name. It's on a fairly narrow crowded street and it is sobering to think it probably looked very similar on the morning of August 6th.

[@bngr_bngr]

@@marshalleubanks2454 the Shima building was a two story brick building. The only thing that survived was the round windows in front of the building and part of the entrance. It must have been the only part of the building that was reinforced. The majority of the buildings in Hiroshima were wood houses that were flatten from the initial explosion then the fires that came afterwards. Surprisingly most of the telephone and power poles didn’t fall over.

[@fe6767]

@@bngr_bngr Which could explain how they got the trams running so quickly. As you need something to hold the wires up.

[@midorimage]

@@bngr_bngr It is more of a clinic than a hospital if I recall right.

[@johnc2438]

I have visited Hiroshima two times, once in 1973 with a very lovely, intelligent young Japanese woman I had the good fortune to meet when I was on a Navy WestPac cruise... she was a graduate of the University of Osaka, and I was on a summer "military" break from college. She showed me everything about the city that wonderful but very sobering weekend. I took my wife on a visit in fall 2019, and, again, the city impressed me with its friendly, kind people we met in the shopping streets, hotels, and tourist spots. We took the trams from the main station to our hotel. I was telling the very pretty clerk about my wonderful 1973 visit and how I wanted my wife to see the city. She promptly upgraded our room to one on the "executive" floor high about the city center, with a spectacular view north to the completely rebuilt castle and moat. Hiroshima is simply one of my favorite Japanese cities I have visited on my eight trips to that beautiful country over the decades of my life. Great people! Great culture.

[@InvestgoldUK]

I hope your wife isn’t reading this about your nostalgia for the Japanese lady

[@typhoon2827]

*twice

[@Z-FishInMyBreakfast]

@@InvestgoldUK … appreciating someone doesn’t always have to be romantic

[@InvestgoldUK]

@@Z-FishInMyBreakfast you are too trusting

[@Z-FishInMyBreakfast]

@@InvestgoldUK lmao ??

[@ronaldsantosjapan]

I visited Hiroshima four years ago. I stayed rather near the Atomic Dome. The Dome was to me a very somber and sobering place. At night, it was haunting and stark. Other than that, Hiroshima today is a lively and beautiful city.

[@12yearssober]

My uncle told me of his 3 years spent as a POW held by the Japanese. The experiences he shared were more somber and sobering than anything you saw I promise.

[@rosez6737]

@@12yearssober lord forbid people have sympathy for civilians

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

Compare Hiroshima today to Chicago today. And Chicago was never Bombed.

[@raypurchase801]

Safer than modern-day London, Paris or Washington DC. Almost zero diversity.

[@rhetorical1488]

The memorial park in Hiroshima is an oasis. Definitely recommend visiting if you are there

[@NACH3205]

Pleasantly surprised at this, I too have rode on these trams while stationed at MCAS Iwakuni Japan just south of Hiroshima. Never once occurred to me that they were survivors. Thanks again for a great video Mark Felton!

[@donnabaardsen5372]

"...have ridden..."

[@clonetrooper71]

@@donnabaardsen5372 I was going to say...

[@lutomson3496]

I did ride on these also while spending time at Iwakuni I spent more time in Misawa and Okinawa though but spent time there part of USN

[@bele2.041]

Don't scoff at the 1950s era trams, they survived numerous Godzilla attacks.

[@terokaakinen7061]

My girlfriend and I are going to Japan next week and we are also going to visit Hiroshima. Now with these trams came one more place to visit and I have to tell her some historical facts about them... 😃 Thank you Dr. Felton... 🙏🏼

[@EiriUesugiKun]

Just don't call the Atomic Dome an "observatory". It was an Industrial Promotional Hall at the time and has never been any kind of observatory...

[@terokaakinen7061]

@@EiriUesugiKun Thanks for the advice...🙏🏼😃

[@Simonize41]

As a lifelong railwayman and train geek, this video was an absolute joy to me. Poignant and surreal I might add. Thank you Dr. Felton.

[@ArtStoneUS]

In one of the pictures, the tram has two trolley poles. That's similar to what they had in the city of Cincinnati Ohio, which for political reasons it was deemed too risky to use the rails as the return circuit, so a second wire was used overhead for the ground return.

[@mitchmatthews6713]

Another worthwhile visit to Felton University! Cheers, Mark!

[@0159ralph]

My father in law enlisted in the Navy when he turned 16 in 1942 and served on the USS Salt Lake. He had two brothers that were POW in the Philippines and survived the Battaan Death March. He also had another brother fighting in Guadalcanal. All came home alive. The two that were POWS were found alive in Manchuria, and it was a miracle . My family thinks the bomb was a good thing and has no regrets it was used. However an ironic thing. My father in law and his brothers are all from New Mexico and the bomb was developed in Los Alamos. It saved their lives.

[@CraigerAce]

My father joined the USN in March 1944 at age 17. At first he was assigned to a non-combat role as a baker’s helper in Chicago. He and a buddy didn’t like doing this and so and protested to the NCO that ran it. The next thing they knew they were in San Diego. Dad, still 17, was then put in a warehouse pulling orders to be shipped out. One day a couple of officers came to the warehouse with a list of names and dad was on the list. They shipped dad and a bunch of other sailors to a camp to be trained as riflemen. His Drill Sergeant was a grizzled veteran. He’d been a Marine since before the war and seen heavy combat somewhere in the South Pacific. Dad never knew where. The first thing this sergeant said was, “Boys if you listen to me and do what I tell you, some of you might make it back alive.” I have a picture of dad taken after his training. He dressed like a Marine, except instead of a Marine Corps emblem his was USN. Until he passed in 2014 he was convinced that the use of atomic weapons, as awful as it was, saved the lives of himself and many, many others. Peace. Out.

[@joeyartk]

The US negotiating a surrender instead of demanding unconditional surrender, which they didn't get anyway, would have ended the war months earlier, saved far more lives, and kept the Russians out of Korea.

[@serenityinside1]

@@joeyartkastonishing naivety to think the japs would have ever surrendered- they made it quite clear they were going to fight to the last women and children. You didn’t know this because…?

[@josephshields2922]

I went to school in the shadow of ww2. I used to believe that but while doing research I came across letters written by MacArthur, Nimitz, and even Eisenhower who were all aquainted with the situation in the Pacific. They all contradicted the propaganda I was taught and that was the basis of the ww2 generation's opinion on the topic. You might find it both interesting and surprising as I did. You can find most of these by googling.

[@curtiskretzer8898]

​@@josephshields2922Genl LeMay lobbied against atom bombings for low level fire bombings. The atom bomb saved🇯🇵from LeMay's 🇺🇲AAFs

[@davidvavra9113]

Clearly, Truman was not the public speaker FDR was.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Truman wasn't the best at delivering a prepared speech. He excelled when he spoke "off the cuff" as in "Give 'em hell, Harry!"

[@sillyone52062]

Harry Truman had been a haberdasher prior to entering public life. I imagine that this made him skilled at one on one talking.

[@jeffdalrymple1634]

FDR had only met with Truman twice during his Vice Presidency. FDR made sure to go out of his way to "ill" inform Truman.

[@1951GL]

Molotov complained at one post war summit that he had never been spoken to like this in all of his life. Truman came back at him: "You stick to your agreements and you won't be." Very much the type needed in a committee.

[@frankchan4272]

@@WAL_DC-6Btrue. He needed to keep to written script to ensure that legal, allied forces agreements & other things were stated properly.

[@juliansadler6263]

The straight DC traction motor will run indefinitely if rewound every couple of decades.

[@nyguesswho]

I’m an elevator mechanic in NYC and worked on some elevators over 100 years old. Motors do blow now and again, but those old DC motor/generator sets still run, to this day, being rewound probably only enough times to count on both hands. Brush maintenance is key to keep them healthy, along with lubrication. I’d imagine it’s the same here with these trams had they been kept in service.

[@tonydoggett7627]

The Japanese have highest standards and quality tests for the insulation coating on copper winding wire (PEI-2 etc) Provided the coils can’t vibrate, motors & transformers can last for a long time.

[@foo219]

And yet I hear every day from various people how electric motors are useless compared to internal combustion engines. People are strange!

[@anthonyjackson280]

@@foo219 It is not the motors that are source of criticism of EV's it is the battery/charging technology. In case you didn't notice trams/streetcars/trolley buses/electric railways draw power from overhead cables or tracks.

[@MichiganRick]

My dad got a free trip to Okinawa Japan back on Easter Sunday, Aprils Fools Day 4/1/1945. After recovering from his wounds in June and being sent back to Okinawa waiting for the invasion of Japan. President Truman's decision to use the A bomb saved 100s of thousands of US lives.

[@brickproduction1815]

Despite my grandpa being in prison in Malaya when he was a soldier in the British army, I still think the bombing is unjustified. I mean just think of people dying at the last days of the war. You waited so long for war to end only to die at the last few days. It's just cruel because you feel that you have a glimmer of hope

[@O-sa-car]

and millions of Japanese lives

[@jhonbus]

@@brickproduction1815 But the only reason those _were_ the last days of the war is because of the atomic bombs. My grandfather was in Burma at the end of the war. He was never in the slightest doubt that it was justified, and indeed better for Japan and its people (other than those specifically in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I suppose. Every Allied soldier in the far east lived under the terrible anticipation of an invasion of Japan that they knew was coming, to which they would all be redeployed, and in which vast numbers of them would die in a fight to the death with effectively the whole population of Japan. The atomic bombings and subsequent surrender felt to many of them, including my grandfather, as though a death sentence had been suddenly commuted.

[@Dog.soldier1950]

If you like Trams New Orleans is the place here in North America

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

@@brickproduction1815Britain was tired and wasn’t going to participate in the invasion of Japan. It would have been the US only and after the fighting in the islands, would have meant hundreds of thousands of US and Japanese lives. We chose hundreds of thousands of Japanese. Study the fight for the islands. It was brutal. And the Japanese never surrendered until the end.

[@pittbullking87]

I rode the trams to get around in Kumamoto, Japan when I was there in 2006. One day the one I was riding on broke down. Within 15 minutes a replacement car was on the scene and the broken one was being towed to the rail yard for repair. We were soon on our way.

[@tokyochannel2020]

I knew this old lady from Hiroshima, she was a student when the bomb was dropped, she said she was riding on a tram when it happened.

[@seanlander9321]

Hiroshima was part of the Australian occupied zone. Their administration rapidly rebuilt the city.

[@CatsMeowPaw]

I've been to Hiroshima but never noticed the trams. Thank you for this piece of history.

[@Zebred2001]

As horrible as these atomic attacks were, I think they saved far more than the estimated Allied and Japanese dead in an allied invasion. This was a real world test that so horrified the world that ever since we have been very reluctant to repeat it. Without these attacks Warhawks would claim, as some did anyway, that a nuclear strike was desirable and such a war winnable.

[@browngreen933]

My WW2 veteran father also thought the atom bombs saved Japan.

[@crevis12]

There is no way these bombs saved over 200,000 people… it should be looked at as a war crime

[@PrinceChaloner]

So true iif they hadn't used it my grandfather would've been part of the invasion force and would've died and many of us wouldn't have been born..

[@DCresident123]

Its incredible that people STILL justify this war crime...

[@PrinceChaloner]

@@DCresident123 you probably wouldn't even been born today as well...

[@Spitfiresammons]

I'm amazed how 651 and 652 survived the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima and brought back to servicers just days after the bomb I wound like to hear of London trams and buses that survived the London Blitz of 1940-41.

[@BowmanBro]

As always Doctor Felton, thank you!

[@anasevi9456]

He truly is a merit, more so in these geopolitical slap fight times when so many Martial history centred youtubers, have outed themselves as pretty much in the history game for ulterior reasons. And sadly I don't mean merely to shill for a quick buck.

[@BowmanBro]

@@anasevi9456 Most definitely indeed.

[@meistarkus]

Graz, Austria also has some vintage trams you can ride on. Specifically the Type GVB 200 from 1946-49. Also the city's tram lines are well integrated into the city's infrastructure. Enjoy your videos as always!

[@garypulliam3421]

It's hard to believe the Japanese were so cruel in WW2. I lived in Japan for seven years in the 60s and 70s, and they were the nicest people on earth. We road Denshaws and Rickshaws everywhere, and everyone was very kind and pleasant at every stop.

[@johnnyjohn-johnson7738]

You can say the same thing about Americans, they laid back family oriented ones in the apple pie suburbs are so kind that it's hard to imagine that their Army had raped and pillaged during the wars against Native Americans and committed the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.

[@menwithven8114]

I'm assuming their attitudes changed quite a bit between 1945 and when you were there. I would argue they were more cruel that the Germans when it comes to soldering

[@RedProg]

There are books out there detailing the actions of Unit 731. Along with other Japanese UNITS. Their actions in Korea, Manchuria, China, SouthEast Asia, Java , Phillipines etc etc etc should be required reading.

[@johnnyjohn-johnson7738]

@@menwithven8114 The Germans would've been a second close though, followed by the Red Army. Out of all the "bad guys" during WW2 the ones who were the least feral were the Italian Fascists.

[@Avarua59]

​@@menwithven8114- Soldering? Well they were always better with electronics.

[@aj4m2a]

Should one wish for an authentic municipal tramway experience, Blackpool trams have been running continuously for almost 140 years, mixing modern Bombardier units with up to 100 year old heritage trams.

[@MarceloBenoit-trenes]

The only city in UK that preserved their trams. All the other present networks were restored in the 1990-2000s.

[@LIsForLexi.]

Honey!!!! Mark just posted!!! I'll be late for work!

[@chamuuemura5314]

A bee keeper, I see.

[@prun8893]

Dr. Felton.

[@josephcooter5763]

My dad served in an intelligence unit in Japan and I was born there; although three months later he got his discharge and we came home. While he was there however, he took some photos of his time there including photos from a visit to Hiroshima or Nagasaiki, not really sure which. I can remember seeing the devastation from that trip in a slide show he showed family and friends at one point. It was shocking, to say the least.

[@otm646]

The cities look fairly different from both buildings and surroundings. If you brought the photos to someone who knew either location they should be able to figure it out.

[@gregbowen617]

Melbourne Australia is my home town and we have the largest tram network in the world… I had no idea there were such beautifully preserved trams that survived the awful events that took place in Japan in 1945. Thanks for a most enjoyable episode Dr Felton !

[@P_FamilyJAR]

i was going to say this too 😊

[@markfryer9880]

Certainly Dr Felton should find a way to get himself to Melbourne to experience a city that has thoroughly embraced the tram! I know that the network is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere but I am unsure of our ranking in the world in terms of size of the system. Mark from Melbourne Australia 🇦🇺

[@P_FamilyJAR]

@@markfryer9880 it’s the largest in the world by track distance, also the busiest tram system in the world

[@SnoopReddogg]

I've always got a good chuckle about Melbourne gloating about our status as having the largest tram network on earth. That overinflated claim is right up their with hanging our hat on having the biggest Aussie Rules football league on earth.

[@CA999]

Hiroshima has a very big tram museum too. It's featured in documentaries and news reports on its national broadcaster NHK. Tram Geeks like Dr Felton could find it online. Extraordinary colorful collection and has many cartoon and anime themed trams decorated on the outside and inside.

[@svetlanamandic9785]

So beautifully explained and told. I don't say anything except for every honor!

[@flyingcod14]

No mention of Blackpool? Alan Bradley certainly regretted his meeting with a tram there.

[@wesdowner5636]

Streetcars are generally called "trolleys," in the northeastern US states. The "Green Line" in Boston still uses trolleys.

[@jamespfitz]

O:58 "... But they were kept intact for a rather nefarious reason..." Nefarious, adj., : flagrantly wicked or impious You really don't like Americans, do you? Or the advancement of knowledge and understanding, perhaps. "Hiroshima was a legitimate military target," you later posit. But the order in which it was targeted is, to you "nefarious"? Finally, I do not consider the end of the Second World War "one of the darkest chapters in our history," and I shudder to think of the consequences had history not unfolded as it did. Your snark is an ugly blemish on your work.

[@arightpest3367]

Crich tramway village crich Derbyshire a very interesting place to visit.

[@mirkogolub4927]

There are absolutely no reasons, motives nor words that can justify the use of such horrific weapon on innocent people. It is beyond belief that no-one answered before our universal justice existence for such a heinous act, or maybe we don't know about it yet.

[@eucliduschaumeau8813]

My grandfather worked for the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission in Hiroshima just after the war. The tram car history is one I knew a little about, but this video was very comprehensive. Thank you for covering this topic. I’m certain that he rode in one or more of the original trams while he worked and lived there.

[@nathandeal9703]

Great video Dr, but can you do an in depth look into the bombing of Nagasaki? I feel like that it’s kind of overlooked when compared to Hiroshima.

[@Purvis-dw4qf]

I knew a man who was a young marine in September 1945 whose unit was assigned to go to Hiroshima but he was injured in a jeep accident before reaching the city. He told me by 1960 his 30-man platoon were all dead mostly from cancer and related illness.

[@fsutaria]

Was there an American presence on the Japanese mainland before the Hiroshima bombing, or did the Japanese army also have unit of Marines? Genuinely curious to know.

[@Purvis-dw4qf]

@@fsutaria The bombing was in August 1945- the USA sent troops in September 1945. (There were some Allied POWs killed in the atomic bombing.)

[@fsutaria]

@@Purvis-dw4qf Thanks for the reply. Your friend / acquaintance was clearly born under a lucky star! 🙂

[@IMD404]

kinda cute, how someone as smart as Mr Felton decided to make a 11 minute long video due to his love for trams

[@karinmccarthyeliz]

I love your videos. Full of information that few delve into. Thank you

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

As the need for new content grows,new rocks will be unturned, or even just made

[@IgorMikeshin]

Come visit Helsinki. Trams are an important part of our city's transportation system, especially in the central areas

[@diggledoggle4192]

And are hell for drivers from any other part of Finland

[@IgorMikeshin]

@@diggledoggle4192 Why? No one complained

[@chipdouglas9729]

I wish I had a History Teacher like you when I was in school. I love your videos.

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🏆⭐🎖️✨ Thank you for sharing this

[@AtheistOrphan]

Ah yes, Pearl Harbor, where the yanks were taken completely by surprise by a global conflict that had been raging for over two years.

[@shawarmaboii5271]

Are you serious? The americans knew about the war in europe, why do you think theyvsent out those supply convoys to great britain? What they did not expect was japan to hit so far out in pearl harbor

[@michaelwalter3399]

And in Southern California we had a system which covered nearly five counties, and foolishly threw it away in favor of freeways, gridlock and smog.

[@MarceloBenoit-trenes]

In fact, two systems (PE and LARs). And several ones on San Francisco and surrounding cities.

[@awildcyclistappears]

For someone who have been in Hiroshima twice, I have always admired how the city rose from the ashes of it's destruction. While I rode trams (best ride is always to Miyajima-guchi, since you can see most of the town that way - iit takes a while though) never really thought that some of the pre bombing ones still function to this day. Thank you Mark for this video. Makes me want to return to Hiroshima once again.

[@lincolnhaldorsen5649]

Japan is not traditional or conservative and hasn’t been since the 1940s… if you want an example of a conservative or traditional country: Nigeria, Iraq, Thailand, Afghanistan, Iran, Guatemala

[@weepatdonnelly9093]

I live in Scotland dundee we still have trams and were famous for them back in the day

[@johnnyjohn-johnson7738]

Do the Scots in Dundee wrestle with crocodiles by any chance?

[@zm_headhunter]

It's not that big of a deal, here in Algeria every major city had tram , they've been replaced with newer sophisticated ones , but yeah the charm is no way near the same

[@cplcabs]

@@johnnyjohn-johnson7738 lord....you yanks and your terrible sense of humour

[@johnnyjohn-johnson7738]

@@cplcabs Not American.

[@kipmax6556]

@Mark Felton. At 10:57 you mistakenly name the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall (A-Bomb Dome) as "The Hiroshima Observatory". Another interesting fact, that ugly eyesore black cube shaped building behind it is the Chamber of Commerce, located on the site of the original (and linked to the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall prior to the bombing) that actually survived the bombing with relatively minor structural damage. It was replaced with this one in 1965 but has been criticized by the citizens for its distraction of the view from Heiwa Koen (Peace Park). It is finally slated to be demolished and moved elsewhere. Otherwise, very good and informative video. I've lived in or around Hiroshima for the past 40 years and have ridden those "trams" (streetcars to me, as a Yank...) many times including the No. 653.

[@TroyDowVanZandt]

This video reminded me of a book in my library I haven't thought about in years: a signed copy of Secret Missions by Rear Admiral Ellis M. Zacharias. The Navy sent him to Japan many years before the war to learn Japanese. Admiral Zach (as he signed the book) composed and recorded the surrender demand. Now forgotten in the United States, his name popped up on Japanese television when I was there in the early 90s.

[@Willigula]

Once again, Dr. Felton hits us with another fascinating and unexpected subject matter. (No humor implied). I have been to Japan dozens of times, including Hiroshima and didn’t know about the surviving trams. Very cool! Thanks, Dr. Felton!

[@willymeaux]

If you like trams/streetcars you need to go to New Orleans and ride the street cars. It is the oldest continuously operating street train system in the world. The green line has cars from the 1900s to 1920s that you can ride.

[@jailbird1133]

Just don't take your wallet, and keep your hands up.

[@notsosilentmajority1]

It would be nice to hear the history of the trams without any sort of discussion about the morality of atomic bombs and the "dark history' of that time. England and the US did more damage to Germany with relentless pounding of bombs, day in and day out at certain points. If the atomic bombs saved 1 US servicemen from the torture and brutality of the Japanese Imperial military, then it was more than worth it. Although England did lose many troops against Japan, it paled in comparison to the over 100,000 casualties that there Americans suffered. Even the Nazi's treated POW's better than the Japanese. That's not even mentioning Pearl Harbor.

[@floriandanzinger6027]

If you like trams, Lisbon is the place to go. Unfortunately, riding the most scenic routes has become a tourist trend causing queues at the stations, but there are other, less frequented lines.

[@martinjohnson9316]

I believe those historic trams in Lisbon were of british manufacture.

[@MarceloBenoit-trenes]

@@martinjohnson9316 bodies built locally, trucks from Brill, Maley & Taunton and Ferrostaal. The original electric cars were all american ones (Brill, John Stephenson, Saint Louis Car Co.).

[@sanchoodell6789]

I've been to Japan 5 times but visited Hiroshima on my second visit to the country in 2009. And was very taken aback about how pleasant the city now is despite the horror and destruction which befell it back in 1945. A very student-like town with pleasant wide streets. The trams lend an "old world" charm to the city. The epicentre of the bomb explosion has now been developed into a memorial peace park. The Hiroshima Memorial Museum is well worth a visit with very touching individual accounts recalled by survivors including a father who lost his son when he was outdoors on his bicycle. The father survived because he was inside the home.The son was totally vaporised by the explosion and only the bicycle remained. The grieving father buried the bicycle in the backyard and only unearthed it 40 years later and donated it to the Museum in the mid 80s where it is on display today.

[@MrXdmp]

Thanks Dr. Felton!

[@coinstruck6079]

Thanks Mark, very interesting video. I lived in Melbourne Australia for about 3 years and they maintain an excellent tram network which I used almost daily. By coincidence I am visiting Hong Kong in June so will make sure I have a tram ride there.

[@giroromek8423]

0:41 that's British humor if it exists 😊

[@theHerathrig]

Monty python.

[@TellySavalas-or5hf]

Roger Moore joke.

[@Alsatiagent-zu1rx]

There is no humorous intent in the sentence @0:41. Am I missing something? Please advise.

[@AtheistOrphan]

Huh? There’s no humour whatsoever! It’s serious.

[@longiusaescius2537]

So true

[@stevejohnston3194]

I rode on Hiroshima's trams about 20 years ago. As I recall you need to be sure to pick up a Seiriken (整理券) ticket when you enter as the fare changes per distance traveled. As in the photo at time 11:47, the front door is marked Joukousyayusen (乗降者優先), meaning "for disparking riders". You enter by the mid-point door where the Seiriken ticket machine is installed.

[@robertphillips6296]

Thank you for posting this.

[@romanbrough]

Crich, near Matlock in Derbyshire, is an excellent tram museum for many of us living North of Watford. Thoroughly to be recommended. Loads to do in the area. Well worth a visit.

[@HouseholdDog]

Never knew they preserved Hiroshima from conventional bombs. That makes me rethink the situation entirely.

[@FrequentFlyer_MIA]

and?

[@12yearssober]

They basically wanted to study the effects of the bomb could be seen

[@The_Gallowglass]

They also warned the population that it was gonna happen so that they could take refuge. Most people ignored the threat, unfortunately.

[@HouseholdDog]

@@FrequentFlyer_MIA I still don't know what to think at the moment. I will have to reassess.

[@CA999]

My science professor at University referred to it derisively as a 'controlled experiment'. He writes and appears in media disapprovingly of nuclear energy.

[@paulmaxwell8851]

3:34 "We could debate all day long about the moral and political questions concerning the use of atomic weapons on Japan...." Well, I respectfully disagree. Japan was losing the war by 1943 and slowly starving as we sank most of its supply ships by submarine. It had numerous opportunities to surrender unconditionally. Yet it elected to continue its war of aggression. Ultimately, it suffered the massive defeat it deserved. It IS unfortunate that nuclear weapons were not available sooner, as Japan's victims were being murdered at an unimaginable rate. Today, woefully uneducated young people in the West wring their hands and lament the Allies' 'unprovoked attack on Japan' as if we started the war! They have unwittingly played into the hands of today's Japanese right-wing extremists.

[@KellyTour-d9s]

Terrible war criminals who have never acknowledged,let alone apologized . Don't feel too bad for them.They still don't teach their crimes in school in Japan.

[@tonokatona2881]

I mean if were generalising a people for their ancestors actions then so is the US, UK, Russia, most of the the world really who dont fully acknowledge and teach the full extent of their nations crimes. Only the Germans have the balls to step up in this regard.

[@KellyTour-d9s]

@@tonokatona2881 But the video is about Japan.

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

Most places don’t talk about their horrible choices, no

[@DCresident123]

oh the irony... but our war crimes are always ok right...smh

[@rdvancigerli6558]

Is it true that the FW 190 and Spitfire aircraft used during World War II were used by Türkiye ? There are photographs taken during the Second World War. If I'm not mistaken, these planes were purchased through trade agreements. Can Mark Felton make a video about this?

[@suminshizzles6951]

There are claims that hiroshima was not a military target at all. The base being minor and of no significance. The japanese only have themselves to blame for the bomb though, by refusing to accept defeat. Even after this bomb fell on hiroshima, they did not accept defeat and wanted to keep going, so the second bomb was dropped. While horrific the bomb is it, did stop the war and most likely saved american lives.

[@johnnyjohn-johnson7738]

I'd hardly credit the bombs for stopping the war when they were pretty much finished by the time they got hit. If the bombs were dropped early in the war then it would've made sense to call it a game changer, but at the point the bombs were used the Empire of Japan was already heading towards failed state status. But they say that an invasion would've killed millions of allied soldiers? yeah sure, just like how there were WMDs in Iraq.

[@robert-trading-as-Bob69]

Japan surrendered mainly because the Soviet Union declared war on them. The Japanese military had suffered a deafeat at the hands of the USSR prior to WWII starting, and were afraid of Soviet occupation and annexation. It is good to remember that any land invasion of Japan would have included many of the Allied countries as well, such as Russia, Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries too, not just America. The Dutch and French had interests in the Pacific too, that would have spurred them on to participate in the invasion. The Australians in particular, would have been keen to teach the Japanese humility.

[@robert-trading-as-Bob69]

@@johnnyjohn-johnson7738 A million Allied military casualties were estimated, not millions of deaths. The Japanese civilian cost though, would have been extraordinarily high (compared to German civilian deaths in the occupation of Germany,) due to the fierce hold their government had over the disciplined Japanese people then. Consider the Okinawan civilian suicides in fear of the Americans whom Japanese propaganda had made out to be monsters... no doubt many Japanese mainland civilians would have followed their example.

[@johnnyjohn-johnson7738]

@@robert-trading-as-Bob69 How are untrained soldiers, many of whom were armed with either spears or smoothbore guns that can hold only one bullet going to inflict millions of casualties? That's like saying that the Zulus from the 19th century can defeat the 1940s US Military. About as plausible as the movie "Avatar".

[@robert-trading-as-Bob69]

@@johnnyjohn-johnson7738 What? You've gone off on a tangent. And fell off. I wonder what the Vietnamese people would say to your comment, especially considering your 1960's and '70's American soldier was better equipped than than their 1940's comrades, yet learned a hard lesson there... or perhaps the ignorant peasant Afghani people versus the might of the USSR, 1979 into the '80's? Maybe the unsoldier-like farmers of the two Boer Republics vs the British Empire, when it took TWO WARS, (Great Britain lost the first one) and OVER 400 000 Khaki clad 'modern' soldiers from all over the world to defeat less than 90 000 Boers. (and the introduction of concentration camps to murder more Boer civilians than Boer fighters who died in battle.) I wonder what Napoleons reaction to your comment would be, considering the 'Little War', or guerrilla war his troops fought in Spain? He also underestimated the abilities of a motivated, untrained force facing trained soldiers ON HOME GROUND! You can't rely on massive firepower to overwhelm an enemy. The worlds best soldiers around the world are small groups of very well trained special forces that often use sympathetic locals to fight off much bigger foes.

[@alyssatipton5080]

Truman: “We issued that warning to try and spare the innocent civilians” Also Truman: “Yeah so they ignored our warning and ultimatum so we just nuked there civilians…twice. Stay strapped or get clapped, civvies”

[@andrewdowns3403]

if you like trams , come and visit Melbourne , Australia

[@AndrewTubbiolo]

Tucson Az USA operated several old trams from Hiroshima as a hobby effort by a downtown rail museum over weekends from the 1990's into the 201x's.

[@planetwaft349]

Thanks for reminding me of this tragedy. We must never forget.

[@garymathena2125]

This was not a tragedy; this was a war started by Japan. If the atomic bombs had not been dropped, in 1945-46, Operation Olympic and Operation Coronet would have taken place. First the invasion of the southernmost island of Kyushu, then the invasion of Honshu to take the rest of the home islands. My uncle was in the invasion force getting ready for the invasion. The Allies casualties just for Americans were estimated at 125,000 to 1.25 million alone, this does not include Japanese casualties. I have been informed by people who were in Japan for occupation forces that many of their bridges would not take the weight of our tanks. That would have meant house to house fighting. Post war decryptions of the Imperial Japanese military revealed that they had much more equipment and men than was thought by Allied planners. This was borne out by discoveries of vast amounts of suicide boats, hidden airplanes for Kamikaze missions and troops not accounted for under Allied estimates. In short Japan started the war in the pacific and we ended it. The great loss of human life is regrettable, but Japan should have thought of that.

[@rosez6737]

@@garymathena2125 pretty gross to consider mass civilian casualties not a tragedy, regardless of which side it was

[@whonow3486]

@@rosez6737 If an invasion were to occur, there would still have been massive civilian casualties; more in fact. Hiro. & Naga. were tragedies yes, but they would be nothing compared to the grand tragedy of a Japanese Mainland invasion. If Operation Olympic had gone through, we would be crying at Truman that he was a monster for simply not dropping the bombs.

[@charliesschroedinger]

Violence is NEVER the answer. It is always a question first. And sometimes the answer must be YES. And in those times it should not be a dial. Rather a switch. Do not hesitate. Do what must be done. Do not relent. Do not give quarter. Unfortunate? Yes. True? Equally YES

[@uptoolate2793]

​@@rosez6737just wooosh.

[@o2wow]

Japan was not the "victim" of a nuclear attack. They Japanese Navy and Army both had programs to build and use nuclear weapons. Japan set about subjecting and enslaving the entire Pacific Rim.

[@michaelwesterdahl7857]

Wow, never thought id be here less than 5 minutes after upload!

[@Jacobbradyyt8869]

Same Lol

[@concept5631]

8 minutes

[@nicholasdeptola5639]

“Hey there you are!” “Do I know you?” “No but you’re there, that’s where you are!” (: (:

[@audible67]

That's literally possibly the stupidest thing to get excited about. Low bar much?

[@concept5631]

@@audible67 eh

[@dmprdctns]

Love your work and this was not to explore debate of shoulda-woulda-coulda's ... but... regardless of that, I myself feel it is not fair to history to emphasize or even mention casualties of the atomic attacks upon Japan without mentioning the war crimes and horrors inflicted by their government upon their enemies, not to mention their own people... The two should always be irrevocably linked... In my opinion. But thanks... a huge fan here for these exquisite reports....

[@seantaylor8162]

Wow, never thought id be here less than 47 minutes after upload

[@jerribee1]

😂

[@martinsaunders7925]

Arriving in Rappongi after working the tram driver told me it was the last ride. I replied that it was indeed late. No,he said it was the LAST ride. Tomorrow I would have to find another way to work. I still have that ticket,along with the Japanese drivers license I got later. Years later I saw Akira Kurosawas' movie Dodeskaden. Was it the last tram ride in Tōkyō?

[@jared1870]

Whoa, I caught a Dr. Felton video freshly dropped. Thanks!

[@Bradydog-in7ut]

For anyone who may think the atomic bombing of Japanese cities was “unethical”, US central command estimated it would cost 1 million American soldiers dead to defeat Japan and get them to surrender. I doubt American would have looked to kindly on Japanese and built her up to what she is today if that happened. Infact the whole country would now look more like the two bombed cities!

[@bluewater8955]

My great grandpa freaked me out because he had 20 swords ⚔️ he sent home., from his dead enemies then he had them like art on the walls.

[@jthomas4361]

Nobody cares about your bullshit story

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

Was your grandfather...lord Mountbatten?

[@MeretrixTricks]

I don't have a doubt that you know all historic facts, but your opinions and reflections on modern Japanese society are quite opposite to my own experiences. I have met dozens of Japanese people in my age group (40 years old) and none of them was conservative nor traditional. Yeas, they do appreciate their cultural heritage, but they are far from cultivating it if it's going to jeopardize their idea of happiness and freedom.

[@billmalec]

They were warned. Oh well...

[@12yearssober]

Considering the way they treated their POW's they got off easy.

[@billmalec]

@@12yearssober some are easily brainwashed into thinking we were the bad guys because... We didn't start the war and we didn't want in it. But when we did we kicked ass.

[@12yearssober]

@@billmalec As we should have!!!

[@johnnyjohn-johnson7738]

@@billmalec By "kicking ass" you mean dropping a WMD on completely defenseless people who didn't have the means to fight back to even save their own skin? You sound like the type of guy would would feel proud about himself after arm wrestling a baby.

[@turdsarmy]

@@johnnyjohn-johnson7738 Actually yes, if that baby considered other people sub human, attacked their countries and committed unspeakable atrocities, expected their own soldiers to commit suicide for the emperor and let their own citizens die because they refused to surrender when it was obvious they were defeated

[@keithammleter3824]

Whenever Felton talks about the War in the Pacific and Japan, he gets inaccurate. This video is no exception. 1. Felton implied the US left several cities unscathed from carpet bombing so they could be nuclear targets. That doesn't make sense, as the US only had enough fissionable material to make 3 or perhaps 4 bombs, and they exploded one in their own desert to see if it worked. So there really was only 2 or perhaps 3 bombs to be dropped on Japan. That of course was kept secret at the time. 2. Felton stated that an army was stationed in Hiroshima and thus it was a military target. There was a small wartime army contingent there, but it was a nuclear target purely because it was an immense navy base, with all manner of ship support facilities. Practically the whole city was tied to the navy in some way. An army stuck in home territory is no threat to anyone. Surrounding hills improved the effectiveness of the bomb. 3. Felton stated that today Japan is everywhere in the country very modern and flash. That's true only in the big cities. Rural Japan is like rural anywhere - not very modern at all. My father spent two years in Japan, as did a couple of my wife's cousins - employed as English language teachers in rural schools. They have given me hundreds of photos - its all pretty ordinary. 4. Felton stated that there were many reasons why Japan surrendered - he said the 2 bombs were just one reason. The 2 bombs were the whole and sole reason. The decision was not taken by the military command or government - they wanted to fight on even after the bombs. The decision to stop the fight was taken by the emperor, mostly because he thought himself in grave danger. His directive to stop the fight and cooperate with the US was recorded on 78 rpm disc and secretly transported to the radio broadcast studio, so as to avoid the military command confiscating it and carrying on the war. Once the directive was broadcast and in the public domain, the military had no option, as the emperor was considered a living god who could not be disobeyed.

[@johnreynolds5407]

Marvelous presentation, Mark. It was indeed absolutely evil and unnecessary what the United States under Democrat Harry Truman chose to do - regardless of the stories and excuses people now tell themselves.

[@FRANCISPOLLARD-r3p]

You mean just like Nan Jing?

[@metalmyke1]

Evil, no. Unnecessary, no. How would you feel if your family got hurt? You would want retribution.

[@johnnyjohn-johnson7738]

@@FRANCISPOLLARD-r3p Did atrocities committed by the Iraqi Army justify the 2003 invasion and the subsequent killings of Iraqi civilians?

[@johnreynolds5407]

@@sommebuddy You mean "the Russians" with whom America allied itself?

[@UCannotDefeatMyShmeat]

Weird of you to mention his party out of literally nowhere, but go off

[@oceanhome2023]

Before and after Pictures have been shown and perhaps people here have seen them comparing Hiroshima 1945 vs Detroit 1945 this one shows the decimated Hiroshima vs the beautiful homes and infrastructure of Detroit . The second one shows the comparison between Hiroshima today vs Detroit today . In this picture you see a beautiful Hiroshima vibrant like we see here vs the Dead city of Detroit that we see Today !

[@millardfretland4642]

I love your work here but man your critical tone regarding the US is amazing. Your government allowed a large city in England be bombed to pieces despite foreknowledge of it happening and you also helped destroy the people of Dresden. If it hadn't been for us you would be speaking German today.

[@alex79982]

My grandmother was a little child back in 1945 living in Okayama near Hiroshima. She told me that she saw people with burns and injuries being sent to hospitals there.

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

Wheather Japan deserved it or not is subjective. What it’s subjective is that Japan cannot play the victim. You think people would make Germany out as the victim if it was nuked?

[@irish89055]

I know a British guy, and we all love Dr Felton, wasn't going to lecture us about bombing civilians.I resent his use of the term nefarious, he should saved that for the vile Soviets...

[@lowerquadrant4647]

In Potsdam (near Berlin), Streetcar No. 404 bears the name Hiroshima, as the order to drop the bomb was signed there.

[@philberra1742]

My Father's engineer battalion was part of the 6th Army which was slated to be a part of the invasion of Japan. My Father could testify to the fact that the Japanese were fearless and fought to the death. Should an actual invasion have taken place the casualties on both sides could possibly have been in the millions. It is tragic about the death, injury and destruction that use of the bombs caused. However if they had not been used , many of us, American and Japanese alike would not be here today as our parents would have perished as invasion casualties. I'm sure that faced with these scenarios it was difficult for President Truman to chose what was thought to be the least costly solution to end the war.

[@kill3stdayz910]

Learning that Mark is a 'Tram person' makes my day!

[@peterscott1111]

Working trans can also be found at Beamish Open Air Museum just south of Durham, UK.

[@bjorkie6330]

Hello Mr. Felton, I was wondering if you could create a video on German/axis pows in the USA. I live in Wisconsin and I know there was a camp near where I live. I was just curious if you know of any pow’s that escaped or attempted to in these camps throughout the US?

[@TheJapanChannelDcom]

Anyone who has visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, which is more like a museum with exhibits from the bombing, would be profoundly affected.

[@12yearssober]

The experiences my uncle shared with me about the three years he spent as a POW held by the Japanese had a profound affect on me as well. I have no sympathy for them.

[@johnnyjohn-johnson7738]

@@12yearssober I'm pretty sure some people in Vietnam would feel the exact same way if the USSR nuked America, considering the My Lai massacre.

[@aamiddel8646]

First time i heard that some Japanese cities were spared to be later targets for the bomb. I find it odd because the bomb project was highly secret and one was not sure it would even work.

[@arizonalivesteamer9225]

If you like trolleys cars check out the Southern California railway museum in Perris California