Hiroshima was dealt a devastating blow by a single atomic bomb. One rumor had it that no trees of plants would grow for 75 years. Many felt recovery would prove impossible. But emergency restoration measures were taken almost immediately, and over time the people turned resolutely toward full-scale rebuilding.
　It was a harsh, painful process. The survivors lived with intense anxiety about their health and finances. The administrators of the Hiroshima Prefectural government and others who were involved in the restoration activity were pressed to their limits.