Kantarō Suzuki was Japan’s prime minister when its government decided to accept the Potsdam Declaration in 1945.
Suzuki, a retired admiral, became prime minister in April 1945 during the final months of World War II. His cabinet faced military defeat, intensifying air raids, the atomic bombings, and the Soviet Union’s entry into the war against Japan.
On August 9 and 10, Suzuki helped manage a series of cabinet and imperial conferences about surrender. The Supreme Council for the Direction of the War was deadlocked, so Suzuki brought the issue before Emperor Hirohito. The emperor broke the deadlock in favor of accepting the Allied terms, subject to the preservation of the imperial institution.
Suzuki remained prime minister until April 1946. He is sometimes confused with Prince Higashikuni, who became prime minister after the surrender announcement, and with Hideki Tojo, who had led Japan earlier in the war.