In his 1967 book, The Fall of Japan, William Craig wrote in depth of the efforts to stop the surrender.
Interesting, I saved it.
Hmmmm, the timing of our awareness of this event?
Prescient, or too late?
One thing you forgot to mention: the Emperor’s speech was made in the obsolete Kobun dialect, which even back then relatively few Japanese understood (unless you had a very good education at the high school or college level). As such, many who heard the speech had difficulty understanding it during the broadcast.
What was broadcast with the speech, or only speech broadcast?
My dad was career Air Force, and our family went to Japan 1959, I was 3 years old. I find it astounding even today that only 14 years after the end of World War II, American military dependents were allowed to go to Japan. We were there for 3 years. I have vivid early childhood memories of being there. We went back in the early ‘70s, and I experienced two of my best growing up, teenage years while in Japan. I’m very grateful to have had the experience.
Excellent. Thanks for posting the link.
Bkmk