The atom bombs were just another weapon in the arsenal of the winning side. That is all. The number killed was far less then the atrocities committed by the Japanese in their imperial conquests.
The following are a few of the atrocities of the Japanese. Put yourself in the position of the marine that is to storm the beaches of Japan. Put yourself in the position of those who would need to make such decisions. Yes, a lot of people died by one bomb but the fire bombing of Tokyo and Dresden killed more.
Think about what you would think of a people who would commit the rape of Nanking yet are willing to fly a plane to their own death.
Laha Airfield Massacre This ghoulish event, which killed more than 300 Australian and Dutch POWs,
Alexandra Hospital Massacre Just a day before the British surrendered Singapore, Japanese soldiers stormed Alexandra Military Hospital and slaughtered its occupants, including the medical staff and patients. Even those undergoing surgery were not spared.
Palawan Massacre In another case of POW massacre, the Japanese stationed in Palawan Island, Philippines tried to kill all their American prisoners after wrongly assuming Allied forces had invaded. After driving the prisoners into makeshift air raid shelters, the Japanese burned them alive.
Japanese Occupation Of Nauru During their occupation of the island, the Japanese committed a string of atrocities, and a few stood out for their brutality.
Akikaze Executions In what could be argued as an uncharacteristic yet brutal incident, Japanese forces executed a boat of German civilians suspected of spying for the Allies.
Indian Ocean Raid Massacre In the final raid conducted by Japanese warships in the Indian Ocean, the heavy cruiser Tone sank the British merchant vessel Behar and captured 108 survivors. Captain Haruo Mayuzumi relayed his ship’s success to his superior Rear Admiral Naomasa Sakonju, expecting praise. Instead, the admiral berated the captain for bringing along useless prisoners. He ordered their execution.
Sook Ching Massacre Following the Fall of Singapore, the Japanese wanted to mop up all remaining resistance, especially among the Chinese living in the region. To accomplish this, the notorious Japanese secret police Kempetai initiated Operation Sook Ching (“purge through cleansing”) in February 1942.
I-8 One of Japan’s most notorious submarines, the I-8, is best remembered for sinking two Allied ships and for the crew’s terrible conduct in the aftermath. On March 26, 1944, the sub spotted and sank the Dutch freighter Tsijalak hundreds of miles off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Japanese took 103 survivors onboard and massacred them with swords and sledgehammers. They then bound those still alive and left them on deck as the submarine dove below. Only five survived the ordeal.
The Death RailwayAs their cargo ships were vulnerable to Allied raids, the Japanese sought an alternative supply line to maintain their forces in Burma. This culminated in the construction of a 415-kilometer (300 mi) railway between Burma and Thailand. The railway used 60,000 Allied POWs and 200,000 Asian conscripts for slave labor. During the year-long construction, thousands died from the grueling working conditions and inhumane treatment. A total of 13,000 POWS along with approximately 80,000–100,000 Asian laborers died constructing the railway.
The Massacre Of Manila Early in 1945, General Yamashita planned for his men to evacuate Manila and fight in the countryside. However, two Japanese admirals ignored his order and committed their men to a final stand inside the city. When the Americans arrived, the Japanese forces realized that they faced certain death and vented their rage on the hapless civilians trapped inside their lines. For weeks, the Japanese raped, pillaged, and murdered. Aside from the bayonets and beheadings, they machine-gunned captives and set fire to buildings with people trapped inside. The Americans ceased artillery strikes so the Japanese could surrender, but the Japanese instead continued their rampage.
10 Japanese Atrocities From World War II - Listverse
Rape of Nanking In December of 1937, the Japanese Imperial Army marched into China's capital city of Nanking and proceeded to murder 300,000 out of 600,000 civilians and soldiers in the city. The six weeks of carnage would become known as the Rape of Nanking and represented the single worst atrocity during the World War II era in either the European or Pacific theaters of war.
The History Place - Genocide in the 20th Century Rape of Nanking 1937-38