The bomb saved lives (period) That war would have gone on for another 10 years at least. There were Japanese still fighting in Guam years later still trying to jump off a cliff with hand grenades kill people at the base.
These people don’t realize that the emperor of Japan was God on earth. These people would do anything for their God.
Think Jim Jones with 100+M followers.
If we had to invade Japan, the Soviets would have gotten involved as well, and claimed half of Japan, they already got Sakhalin as it was.
Then Japan would have been divided, just like Korea and Germany. And who knows if you would have had another civil war on our hands, just like with Korea.
Not to mention once the Communists seized power in China, they certainly would have staked their claim as well.