Mokusatsu and Japan's Deadly Silence

On July 26, 1945, the Allies issued the Potsdam Declaration, demanding Japan's unconditional surrender. A few days later, Japanese Prime Minister Kantar? Suzuki responded using the word mokusatsu, which can literally mean "to kill with silence" and is often translated as "ignore" or "treat with silent contempt." While Suzuki might have intended to "withhold a comment for now," Allied news outlets rendered it as an outright rejection. Western leaders interpreted the response as Japan's categorical refusal, entrenched the narrative of "no surrender," and moved ahead with dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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