ABSTRACT
Japan began to change dramatically as soon as the emperor's speech ended. The Oita Godo Press, for example, transitioned literally overnight from a war rallying platform to a peace-filled gazette. The August 16 edition wasted no time in explaining to a confused people why the war had to be stopped. The lead story, under the title “Imperial Rescript Declaring the End of the War Appreciated,” extolled the emperor's “quite exceptional” announcement outlining the agreement to accept conditions laid out in the Potsdam Declaration. “Although Japan had intended to establish a peaceful world through this war, the situation for Japan deteriorated day after day, culminating with the great number of innocent people sacrificed by the atomic bomb. If we continue the war, our nation and civilization will become extinct.” It exhorted all citizens to heed the emperor's words and rebuild the country with “full and collective efforts.” 1
