Major Japanese Cities That Evaded WWII Bombings

During World War II, several major Japanese cities managed to escape extensive bombing. Notably, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, and Kobe were largely spared from extensive bombing raids. However, by the summer of 1945, conventional strategic bombings by B-29 Superfortress bombers had devastated 68 Japanese cities.

Notable Cities That Were Unscathed

Kyoto: Historically significant and culturally rich, Kyoto was considered too important to destroy. It remained largely unscathed due to its cultural and historical significance. Nara: Much like Kyoto, Nara is renowned for its historical sites and was not heavily targeted during the war. Hiroshima: While Hiroshima suffered from the atomic bombing in August 1945, it was not heavily bombed by conventional air raids prior to the atomic event. Kobe: Despite experiencing some bombing, Kobe was not one of the primary targets compared to Tokyo or Yokohama.

Other cities, like Fukuoka and Nagoya, also saw varying degrees of bombing, but Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, and Kobe remained largely intact during the war.

The Final Decisions and Strategic Targets

By the summer of 1945, the list of viable targets was narrowing, as the U.S. needed an intact target to assess the effectiveness of the new “special” bomb, the atomic bomb. The committee identified cities like Hiroshima, Kokura, Nagasaki, Yokohama, Niigata, and the Emperor’s palace in Tokyo. The palace was not targeted due to the unpredictability of the reaction to destroying what was considered a living deity's home. Plus, large parts of Tokyo had already been devastated by numerous air raids, such as the Operation Meetinghouse in March 1945.

Hiroshima's headquarters for the Second General Army, responsible for the defense of Kyushu, and the scheduled Operation Olympic in November 1945, made it an important military target. Nagasaki was chosen due to its significant military infrastructure, including the Mitsubishi shipyards, electrical shipyards, arms plant, and steel plant, which were still operational.

US Secretary of War Henry Stimson ordered the removal of Kyoto from the list of candidate cities due to its cultural significance and the lack of significant military targets. The US Army committee continuously added it back in, leading Stimson to secure an order from President Harry Truman to remove it from the list.

Japan's surrender occurred before the bombing of Kokura, Yokohama, and Niigata could take place. In fact, Kokura was the alternative target for Hiroshima, and the primary target when Nagasaki was bombed. Due to cloud cover, the bombers turned to Nagasaki, thus sparing Kokura from being bombed twice.