[Alberta's Child]

I'm sure there were plenty of plans. I'm sure the U.S. had about a dozen different plans for invading France in 1944, too -- only one of which was actually executed.

As a resource-poor island nation that was culturally very different than the U.S., there would be no reason for the U.S. to occupy it after the war -- unless our explicit intent was to turn the place into a giant manufacturing center for electronics, machinery, autos, etc.

[redgolum]

But the aim wasn't to conquer it for later use, but to end the threat. How would have the war ended if we didn't invade or bomb Japan? With the Russians entering the war, we could have easily lost Japan to the Iron Curtain.

Troops were already being staged for the invasion. Ships were being sent to build up the invasion fleet, and plans were being made. It wasn't a "what will we do if we have to invade Canada" type of thing, it was going to happen.

Even after the two atomic bombs, many in the Japanese army wanted to keep fighting. There was an attempted coup and a gun fight outside the Imperial Palace!