For several months, the US had dropped more than 63 million leaflets across Japan, warning civilians of air raids. Many Japanese cities suffered terrible damage from aerial bombings, some even 97% destruction. In general, the Japanese regarded the leaflet messages as truthful, however, anyone who was caught in possession of a leaflet was arrested by the Japanese government.
Leaflet dropped on Hiroshima before the atomic bomb, showing the names of 12 Japanese cities targeted for destruction by firebombing. Hiroshima was not listed. The other side contained text saying “we cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked…”