 In March 1945, Naka became lead actress in the "Sakura-tai" (Japanese for "Cherry Blossom Unit"), a newly formed mobile theater group organized by actor Sadao Maruyama.Together with the "Sakura-tai" troupe, Naka moved to Hiroshima on 7 June 1945, intent on spending the season there.The nine members of the troupe rented a house that was located about from the ground zero of the atomic bombing of August 1945.