The Hidden Truth Behind Japan’s Delayed Surrender Until August 1945

Exploring Japanese Stubbornness from the Meiji Restoration to the Emperor System

Japan’s Persistence in the Face of Impending Defeat

In May 1945, Germany surrendered to the Allied forces, bringing an end to the European theater of World War II. However, Japan, the main player in the Pacific War, continued fighting for more than three months after Germany’s surrender. Japan’s defeat had been a foregone conclusion since 1944, and major cities including Tokyo had been reduced to ashes by Allied bombing campaigns. Nevertheless, Japan only declared unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945. One of the most perplexing aspects of World War II is why Japan held out for so long despite suffering defeat in the Pacific War and enduring the devastating Tokyo air raids.

In our previous post, we explained why Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. If you haven’t read it yet, please check the link below:

To answer this question, we need to understand the nature of Japan’s emperor system and the forces behind the Meiji Restoration.

The Emperor System: The Core of Japan’s Unique Political Structure

Before the Meiji Restoration (pre-late 19th century Japan), the emperor was a sacred figure whose face was unknown to most citizens. Real political power was in the hands of the Shogun (the leader of the samurai) and the bakufu (military government). The Shoguns used the emperor’s authority to legitimize their rule.

After Commodore Perry of the United States forcibly opened Japan’s doors in 1853, lower-ranking samurai staged a coup to overthrow the bakufu. These were the forces behind the Meiji Restoration. They pushed modernization policies with the emperor as their figurehead, but actual power remained in the hands of the samurai-born elite.

The Military’s Independence and the Emperor’s Political Rise

After the Meiji Restoration, the newly established Japanese military gained strength through victories in the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. The military forces then pushed out the Meiji Restoration leaders and began using the emperor for political purposes. By the 1920s, the emperor who wanted to use the military and the military forces who wanted to build political power by placing the emperor at the forefront effectively led Japanese politics.

The Manchurian Incident of 1931, unilaterally instigated by the Japanese Kwantung Army, demonstrated the height of military autonomy and briefly unsettled the emperor and political forces in Japan. However, as Japan continued to win in China, they carried on successfully, and the emperor began to support their actions. Japan expanded all the way to Indochina.

When the United States imposed an oil embargo, the opinions of the emperor and the military diverged significantly:

• The Emperor and Prime Minister: Resolve through dialogue
• Military forces: Resolve through war

The triumphant Japanese military told the prime minister that resolving issues through dialogue was cowardly. Even during the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, the Japanese Navy carried out the operation independently, notifying Prime Minister Hideki Tojo without seeking his approval. This illustrates how fractured the power structure in Japan was at that time.

The Real Reasons Behind Delayed Surrender

In 1945, the Japanese leadership postponed surrender for two main reasons:

1. Preservation of the Emperor System: Fear that the Allied forces would demand the abolition of the emperor system
2. The Decisive Battle on Japanese Soil: The calculation that by inflicting heavy casualties on Allied forces during a mainland invasion, Japan could surrender under more favorable terms

The Japanese military believed in the geographical advantage of being an island nation. Historically, invading an island nation requires tremendous sacrifice. However, in August 1945, the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki—weapons developed just a month earlier—completely shattered Japan’s calculations.

Atomic Bombings and the Decision to Surrender

After the atomic bombings, the Japanese military dramatically changed its stance. They accepted the Allied condition that guaranteed preservation of the emperor’s position. Finally, on August 15, Japan declared unconditional surrender. During the post-war settlement, military leaders including Hideki Tojo were executed as war criminals, but the emperor was spared. But why did the United States choose to use atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Was it simply to prevent greater casualties among American forces, or were there other reasons? We will continue to explore this in our next post.

Historical Lessons

Japan’s delayed surrender was the result of the country’s unique modern political structure. The power struggle surrounding the symbolic figure of the emperor and the military’s unilateral actions ultimately led Japan to catastrophe. This historical event reminds us once again of what can happen when power is dispersed without democratic control.

woo’s Recommended Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire

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Stay tuned for our next post where we’ll examine the reasons behind the United States’ decision to use atomic weapons on Japan.