TAKAGI Sokichi Papers of TAKAGI Sokichi, #53

At the end of August 1944 (Showa 19), TAKAGI Sokichi resigned his post as Bureau Chief of Military Training at the Navy Ministry, having been secretly ordered by Navy Minister YONAI Mitsumasa and Vise Navy Minister INOUE Shigeyoshi of the KOISO Cabinet to inquire into possible ways to end the war. To that end, he frequently moved among senior statesmen, army and navy officers, and Imperial family members to collect information and coordinate actions. On 7 April 1945 (Showa 20), the SUZUKI Kantaro Cabinet was formed.

The war situation continued to deteriorate. It then was decided to explore the idea of peace negotiations through the mediation of the Soviet Union. At the same time, the upper echelon of the leadership decided to "refuse even to comment on" the Potsdam Declaration after it was issued by the United States, Britain and China on 26 July. The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the following month, however, followed by the declaration of war by Soviet Union was finally decided at an Imperial Conference on 14 August to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The next day, the war ended with Japan's surrender.