Kantarō Suzuki led Japan's cabinet during the final surrender decision in August 1945.
Suzuki was prime minister from April 7 to August 17, 1945, covering the decisive weeks after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the Soviet entry into the war against Japan, and the bombing of Nagasaki. His cabinet handled the increasingly urgent question of whether to accept the Potsdam Declaration.
The Supreme Council for the Direction of the War remained divided. Some leaders favored continuing the war, while others sought surrender with conditions, especially protection for the imperial institution. Emperor Hirohito intervened in favor of acceptance, and Suzuki's government communicated Japan's decision to the Allies.
Suzuki resigned shortly after the emperor's August 15 broadcast. He is sometimes confused with Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, who signed the surrender document, or with General Douglas MacArthur, who accepted it for the Allies. Suzuki did not sign aboard USS Missouri.