What was the Japanese wartime council known as the “Big Six” officially called in 1945?

The Japanese wartime council known as the “Big Six” was officially called the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War.

The council was Japan’s highest wartime policy body and consisted of six members: the prime minister, foreign minister, army minister, navy minister, and the chiefs of the Army and Navy General Staffs. Its members debated whether Japan should accept the Allied terms.

During the surrender crisis, the council was divided over the Potsdam Declaration and the conditions Japan should seek. Emperor Hirohito’s intervention helped break the deadlock in favor of accepting surrender.

The council’s role is sometimes confused with the Imperial Conference, a broader meeting that included the emperor and other senior officials. The “Big Six” specifically refers to the six-member inner decision-making group.