“Big Six” was the common nickname for Japan’s six-member wartime decision-making council.
The formal body was the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War. It consisted of the prime minister, foreign minister, army minister, navy minister, and the chiefs of the army and navy general staffs. Because the group had six members, English-language histories often call it the Big Six.
The council was central to Japan’s surrender crisis in August 1945. Its members debated whether to accept the Potsdam Declaration, continue the war, or seek conditions protecting the imperial institution. The group was divided, and Emperor Hirohito intervened in the imperial conference process to break the deadlock in favor of surrender.
The Big Six was not the same as Japan’s entire cabinet or Imperial General Headquarters. It was a small, senior policy group whose members represented both civilian and military leadership. The surrender decision also involved the emperor, cabinet ministers, court officials, and military officers who opposed capitulation.