If you want an even more deep, first hand account of what happened contemporary to the time I suggest this:
After Japan surrendered, there was a sudden shift in roles as the soldiers packed up and prepared to return the the USA. At one point, with little to do, he was offered a ride on a plane that was heading over to the mainland of Japan for some reason. He got to see Hiroshima and Tokyo, spending some time on the ground and interacting with a few Japanese citizens there. My father passed away a couple of years ago and I wish that my brother and I could have recorded his accounts of some of these things.