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Japan unlike the other Axis powers - Germany and Italy was offered a modified " Unconditional Surrender " ..,that only applied to it's military not the entire country.
(ie; emperor, civilian government * excluding Imperial Advisory Council etc. excluded from " Unconditional Surrender" terms.)

The US, thru 'Ultra' and 'Magic' were already intercepting and decoding intelligence of both Japanese military and diplomatic codes .The US Identified the problem that the current Japanese government 'Imperial Advisory Council ' would have in accepting a " Unconditional Surrender " that also included the entire country.
The US made attempts to communicate the difference btwn the - modified " Unconditional Surrender " through diplomatic channels and even broadcasting the modified terms to Japan.

Japans government 'Imperial Advisory Council' failed to accept this offer and instead misinterpeted the US offer as a sign of weakness and especially the hardliners and the Army further entrenched themselves.