End of the War and Negotiations toward the Conclusion of the Peace Treaty End of the War/ Start of Occupation
End of the War
Japan was under occupation until the Peace Treaty was concluded with the Allied Powers.
August 1945
Acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration
The Potsdam Declaration was a declaration in which the Allied Powers called on Japan to surrender at the end of WWII. It covers Japan’s disarmament, demilitarization, democratization, and eventual return to the international community, among other matters. The Declaration was conveyed to Japan on July 26, 1945. Japan accepted it in August, putting an end to the War.
Potsdam Declaration (citation)
8. The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine.
Developments in Japan
January 1946
Temporary suspension of Japan’s administrative authority
The General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Power (GHQ/ SCAP) directed Japan to cease exercising its administrative authority over any area outside the defined limit and excluded Takeshima from the limit.
Supreme Commander for the Allied Power Instruction Note No.677
January 1946 (expired in April 1952)
1.The Imperial Japanese Government is directed to cease exercising, or attempting to exercise, governmental or administrative authority over any area outside of Japan, (text omitted).
3.For the purpose of this directive, Japan is defined to include the four main islands of Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku) and the approximately 1,000 smaller adjacent islands, including the Tsushima Islands and the Ryukyu (Nansei) Islands north of 30°. North Latitude (excluding Kuchinoshima Island); and excluding (a) Utsuryo (Ullung) Island, Liancourt Rocks (Take Island) and Quelpart (Saishu or Cheju) Island, (text omitted)
6.Nothing in this directive shall be construed as an indication of Allied policy relating to the ultimate determination of the minor islands referred to in Article 8 of the Potsdam Declaration.
June 1946
Suspension of Japan’s administrative right
In addition, the GHQ/ SCAP issued notes to set the area for which Japan’s fishing and whaling activities were authorized (so-called MacArthur Line), keeping Japanese vessels and personnel from approaching Takeshima.
Supreme Commander for the Allied Power Instruction Note No.1033
June 1946 (expired in April 1952)
3.Japanese vessels or personnel thereof will not approach closer than twelve (12) miles to Takeshima nor have any contact with said island.
5.The present authorization is not an expression of allied policy relative to ultimate determination of national jurisdiction, international boundaries or fishing rights in the area concerned or in any other area.
Ceasing the execution of governmental authority in the period of the occupation as well as the Mac-Arthur Line did not have any effect on the determination on Japan’s territory.
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