Editing Occupation of Japan (section)

===Japanese surrender and initial landings===
{{Main|Surrender of Japan}}

Following the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|dropping of atomic bombs]] and the [[Soviet–Japanese War|entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan]], on the night of 9–10 August 1945, Emperor [[Hirohito]] announced his decision that the Japanese government should accept the terms demanded by the Allies in the [[Potsdam Declaration]] to [[Prime Minister of Japan|Prime Minister]] [[Kantarō Suzuki]] and [[Kantarō Suzuki Cabinet|his administration]].<ref>Bix, ''Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan'' pp. 525-526</ref> On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced [[Hirohito surrender broadcast|Japan's surrender to the Japanese people in a nationwide radio broadcast]]. Two days after Japanese Emperor's first radio broadcast informing the surrender of Japan, [[Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni]] (a member of Japanese imperial family and father-in-law of Hirohito's eldest daughter, [[Shigeko Higashikuni]]) became first post-war Prime Minister on August 17, 1945.

Japanese officials left for [[Manila]] on August 19 to meet MacArthur and to discuss surrender terms. On August 28, 1945, a week before the official surrender ceremony, 150 US personnel flew to [[Atsugi]], [[Kanagawa Prefecture]]. They were followed by the [[USS Missouri (BB-63)|USS ''Missouri'']],<ref>{{cite video |year=1945 |title=Video: Allied Forces Land In Japan (1945) |url=https://archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.39078 |publisher=[[Universal Newsreel]] |access-date=February 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225213159/http://www.archive.org/details/gov.archives.arc.39078 |archive-date=February 25, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> whose accompanying vessels landed the [[4th Marine Regiment (United States)|4th Marine Regiment]] on the southern coast of Kanagawa. The [[11th Airborne Division (United States)|11th Airborne Division]] was airlifted from [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] to [[Naval Air Facility Atsugi|Atsugi Airdrome]], {{convert|30|mi|km|-1|order=flip}} from [[Tokyo]]. Other Allied personnel followed.

MacArthur arrived in Tokyo on August 30 and immediately decreed several laws. No Allied personnel were to assault Japanese people or eat the scarce Japanese food. Flying the ''[[Hinomaru]]'' (sun disc), [[Flag of Japan|national flag of Japan]] was initially severely restricted (although individuals and prefectural offices could apply for permission to fly it); this restriction was partially lifted in 1948 and completely lifted the following year.<ref name="flag"><!-- Please leave multiple references &amp; quotes. This has been a point of contention leading to multiple instances of article reversion --></ref>

On September 2, 1945, Japan formally surrendered with the signing of the [[Japanese Instrument of Surrender]]. On September 6, U.S. President Truman approved a document titled "[[U.S. Initial Post-Surrender Policy for Japan]]".<ref>text in ''Department of State Bulletin'', September 23, 1945, pp. 423–427.</ref> The document set two main objectives for the occupation: eliminating Japan's war potential and turning Japan into a [[democracy|democratic]] nation with pro-[[United Nations]] orientation.