The damage done to human bodies by the atomic bombing continued over time. Particularly obvious was the horror of radiation damage.
Japanese research on A-bomb-related diseases was prohibited during the occupation but gradually proceeded after the country regained independence. Images of survivors suffering aftereffects had begun to reach the public.
The A-bomb Medical Law was enacted in 1957 and the Hibakusha Special Measures Law in 1968. In 1995, the measures under these two laws were unified in the Atomic Bomb Survivors' Support Law, which provided for comprehensive assistance measures from medical care to welfare.