IIRC, Tojo was hatching a plan to kill Hirohito and blame it on the Americans, which most likely would have kept the war going.
It is surprising that there is almost total agreement that the bombing was necessary. Stimpson’s study claimed it might “cost us between 1.7 and 4 million casualties including 400,000 and 800,000 killed.” You can have a study that proves anything you want.
On September 20, 1945, Major General Curtis LeMay stated to the Associated Press: The atomic bomb had nothing to do with the end of the war ... The war would have been over in two weeks without the Russians coming in and without the atomic bomb.” Hoover adds: “There were present at this interview two American Generals who were engaged in action against Japan — General Barney Giles and Brigadier General Emmett O’Donnell — both of whom agreed with General LeMay.” On October 5, 1945, Admiral Chester Nimitz told the Associated Press “he was convinced that the end of the war would have been the same without the atomic bomb or the entry of the Russians into the war:” On the same day Nimitz told Congress: The atomic bomb did not end the war against Japan. The Japanese had, in fact, already sued for peace before the atomic age was announced to the world with the destruction of Hiroshima and before the Russian entry into the war. ...
Japanese saw what was done in Germany and were reluctant to surrender. They did not surrender unconditionally. They were allowed to retain the Emperor. A farsighted surrender would have allowed them to retain Korea. That would have save 50,000 American lives. There were to many Communists in the government to allow that. The progressive propaganda machine has done a fine job.