Why was Japan not divided like how Germany was divided after the war?

Question

Germany and Berlin was divided into 4 parts. Why was Japan and Tokyo not divided into 2 parts, Since it was the russians and Americans who fought in the pacific? And instead Russia and America fought over Korea.

Answer 1

That probably was the main reason the A-bomb was dropped, to try and keep the Soviets from establishing hegemy in the orient by ending the war sooner.

Answer 2

Although there was some English assistance in the Pacific war most of the fighting was done by Americans, as opposed to Europe where the English and the Americans and the Russians were the main fighters, although the French were allowed some status since their army that had escaped before the German occupation had fought with the allies. Of course, so had the free Polish army and that didn't do them any good after the war, but that's another story.

So in many conferences prior to the end of the war in Europe the main three powers, Russia, England, and America had set boundaries for which areas they would govern after the war.

In the Pacific the Americans fought and the Japanese surrendered to the Americans and the Americans became the occupying force, although the English were also there, to some limited extent.

One must also consider the fact that MacArthur had been put in charge of the Army of the Occupation and wanted to be King of Japan, which he was until the Korean war escalated and he was in charge of that before Truman fired him for gross insubordination. He really ruled Japan and loved it, just as he had ruled the Philippines, but he had kind of lost face there, so couldn't resume that power base.

Answer 3

The Russians only entered the Pacific War in August 1945 as agreed by the Allies before the end of hostilities in Europe.
The Americans dropped the atomic bombs to bring the war to a swift end before the Russians could gain any teritory. The Russians only managed to get the Kurile Islands to thr north of Japan.

Answer 4

Unlike Germany, Japan has always been a single unified country (apart from the occasional in-fighting). Germany, indeed all of Europe, has been invaded and annexed and re-captured so many times a bit more division is barely noticeable. Japan is all Japan, and always has been. Dividing it would seriously screw up its society and economy, reducing it's capability to make reparations.

Answer 5

Part of the conditions for Japan's surrender.

Answer 6

There was an American zone, a small British zone in the West of Japan, and the Russian zone limited to North Korea, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands.

"At the end of the Second World War, Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers, led by the United States."

"The Soviet Union was responsible for North Korea, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands, while the United States and British Commonwealth forces were responsible for Japan, South Korea, and Japan's remaining possessions in Oceania. The Far Eastern Commission and Allied Council For Japan were also established to supervise the occupation of Japan."

"Allied (primarily American) forces supervised the country. General MacArthur was technically supposed to defer to an advisory council set up by the Allied powers, but in practice did everything himself."

"The official British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), composed of Australian, British, Indian and New Zealand personnel, was deployed on February 21, 1946. While US forces were responsible for overall military government, BCOF was responsible for supervising demilitarization and the disposal of Japan's war industries. BCOF was also responsible for occupation of several western prefectures and had its headquarters at Kure. At its peak, the force numbered about 40,000 personnel. During 1947, BCOF began to decrease its activities in Japan and it was officially wound up in 1951."

"Occupied Japan" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupied_Japan

"On August 8, two days after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the Soviet Union, having renounced its nonaggression pact with Japan in April, attacked the Japanese in Manchuria, fulfilling its Yalta pledge to attack the Japanese within three months after the end of the war in Europe. The attack was made by three Soviet army groups. In less than two weeks, the Japanese army in Manchuria, consisting of over a million men, had been destroyed by the Soviets. The Red Army moved into North Korea on August 18. Korea was subsequently divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet and U.S. zones."

"World War II : War ends in Asia" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_World_War#War_ends_in_Asia

"Operation August Storm, or the Battle of Manchuria began on August 8, 1945, with the Soviet invasion of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo; the greater invasion would eventually include neighboring Mengjiang, as well as northern Korea, southern Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. It marked the only military action of the Soviet Union against the Empire of Japan apart from the 1939 Battle of Khalkhin Gol. At the Yalta Conference, it had agreed to Allied pleas to terminate the neutrality pact with Japan and enter the Second World War's Pacific Theater within three months after the end of the war in Europe."

"Japan's decision to surrender was made after the scale of the Soviet attack on Manchuria, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands was known (See Downfall, pg 289), but had the war continued, the Soviets had plans to invade Hokkaidō well before the other Allied invasion of Kyushu."

"Operation August Storm" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_August_Storm

Answer 7

MacArthur knew his Russians, so when they tried (they only declared war against Japan a few days before the surrender), he backed them down and stood by his guns. And nobody in Washington objected.

Answer 8

because this was set up with the surrender of the Japanese to the American forces..this was set up ahead of time..that is the conditions the Japanese would surrender..thus we let the Emperor of Japan remain on the throne..as the Japanese would have fought to the death if we would have tried to remove the emperor...

Answer 9

Isn't Japan a country and Tokyo is a state?

Tokyo is actually in Japan.
Now hurry up and perform seppuku for losing your honor at your question

Answer 10

They didn't want to? Seems only the Germans would think of such a thing to do.