[samurai007]

Something else to consider... there was a very real possibility of the Soviets taking a lot of ground very quickly once they mobilized. Possibly Tokyo would have become a divided city like Berlin, and all of northern Honshu and Hokkaidu controlled by the Soviets and trapped behind the iron curtain for 40-50 years. 171 people died trying to cross the Berlin wall, many more died trying to escape across other parts of the border, and millions suffered under Communist rule for decades. North Korea continues to suffer even today.

Had Japan been divided between the US and Russia, I don't think it would be nearly as prosperous or vibrant as it is today. Decades of oppression and starvation in the north would have prevented all the brilliant and successful Japanese who were born there from ever achieving what they were able to do in a free Japan. How many inventors, artists, businessmen, and leaders were born in the northern half of Japan, and could Japan have succeeded as it has, become the country it is today, without them? For that matter, how many such people had the misfortune of being born in North Korea in the last 50 years, and either starved, killed, or were never given the opportunity to make vital contributions to the world? What would Korea be like today had it been a united, free, whole country for the past 50 years?