Kantarō Suzuki was Japan’s prime minister when Emperor Hirohito announced surrender on August 15, 1945.
Suzuki served as prime minister from April 7 to August 17, 1945. His government faced intense disagreement over whether Japan should accept the Potsdam Declaration, continue fighting, or seek better terms through diplomacy.
During the final crisis, Suzuki attended imperial conferences in which Hirohito intervened to break the deadlock. The emperor’s decision led Japan to notify the Allies that it accepted the declaration’s terms. Hirohito’s recorded announcement was broadcast to the Japanese public at noon on August 15.
Suzuki resigned two days later and was succeeded by Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni. That timing causes a common confusion: Higashikuni was prime minister during the formal surrender ceremony in September, but Suzuki was prime minister when the emperor announced the surrender in August.