Many people believe that World War II officially ended with Germany’s surrender in May 1945. However, for Japan, the conflict continued for several months after Germany’s unconditional surrender. It is important to recognize that the war with Japan was a distinct and separate conflict from the war in Europe, and it did not automatically conclude with Germany’s surrender. This period witnessed some of the most devastating bombings in history. The war officially ended when Japan signed the formal surrender documents to the Allied Powers on September 2, 1945, a day now known as V-J Day.

Reasons for Continued Fighting

Though the unconditional surrender of Germany made it clear that the Allied Powers were a dominant force, Japan had several reasons to continue combat. 

• Concerns about the survival of their state and the devaluation of their Emperor arose. The Japanese feared the disintegration of their culture, which was unacceptable to their nation.
• The idea of surrender was particularly shameful for their culture, despite the dominance shown by the Allied Powers. 
• Japan believed that the continued use of one of the war tactics, the suicide bombings, would wear down the Allied Powers and allow for better terms for peace. 
• The Japanese were unaware of the Manhattan Project, and they believed that the only way they could be defeated was a land invasion by the Allied Powers, which they felt was unlikely. 

Reasons for Surrender 

The reasons for Japan’s eventual surrender to the Allied Powers were complex and culminated in August 1945. Although August represented a tipping point, Japan was already wearing down from the ongoing conflict with the Allied nations.

• On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb known as “Little Boy” on the city of Hiroshima. Three days later, another bomb, called “Fat Man,” was dropped on Nagasaki. The effects of these bombings were devastating for the Japanese people, leading to a significant loss of life and widespread destruction of their cities. Furthermore, the bombings shattered the Japanese leadership’s belief in their ability to continue fighting on equal footing with the United States.
• On August 8, 1945, the Soviet Union invaded Manchukuo, a Japanese puppet state. This invasion played a significant role in Japan’s decision to surrender, as Japanese leaders had hoped that the Soviet Union would help them negotiate more favorable terms with the Allies, due to their neutrality pact. However, the Red Army quickly and decisively defeated the Japanese Army. Ultimately, the Japanese feared a Soviet invasion more than they feared an invasion by the United States.

Japan’s Unconditional Surrender

After the brutal attacks by the United States and the Soviet Union, Japan was rapidly deteriorating. Under pressure from all sides to take action, the country continued to resist surrender. However, Emperor Hirohito ultimately concluded that the only way to preserve the imperial house and the state was to accept the Allies’ terms for surrender. On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. This formal act of signing the documents effectively brought the war and hostilities between the nations to a close.