<P> Until August 9, Japan's war council still insisted on its four conditions for surrender . The full cabinet met on 14: 30 on August 9, and spent most of the day debating surrender . Anami conceded that victory was unlikely, but argued in favour of continuing the war nonetheless . The meeting ended at 17: 30, with no decision having been reached . Suzuki went to the palace to report on the outcome of meeting, where he met with Kōichi Kido, the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan . Kido informed him that the emperor had agreed to hold an imperial conference, and gave a strong indication that the emperor would consent to surrender on condition that kokutai be preserved . A second cabinet meeting was held at 18: 00 . Only four ministers supported Anami's position of adhering to the four conditions, but since cabinet decisions had to be unanimous, no decision was reached before it ended at 22: 00 . </P> <P> Calling an imperial conference required the signatures of the prime minister and the two service chiefs, but the Chief Cabinet Secretary Hisatsune Sakomizu had already obtained signatures from Toyoda and General Yoshijirō Umezu in advance, and he reneged on his promise to inform them if a meeting was to be held . The meeting commenced at 23: 50 . No consensus had emerged by 02: 00, but the emperor gave his "sacred decision", authorizing the Foreign Minister, Shigenori Tōgō, to notify the Allies that Japan would accept their terms on one condition, that the declaration "does not comprise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a Sovereign ruler ." </P> <P> On August 12, the Emperor informed the imperial family of his decision to surrender . One of his uncles, Prince Asaka, then asked whether the war would be continued if the kokutai could not be preserved . Hirohito simply replied, "Of course ." As the Allied terms seemed to leave intact the principle of the preservation of the Throne, Hirohito recorded on August 14 his capitulation announcement which was broadcast to the Japanese nation the next day despite a short rebellion by militarists opposed to the surrender . </P> <P> In his declaration, Hirohito referred to the atomic bombings, and did not explicitly mention the Soviets as a factor for surrender: </P>

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