Also keep in mind that it was the Japanese attitude towards surrender in the first place which was foremost in the minds of the people who decided to use the Atomic weapons.
Every island the Americans took was ghastly with practically zero Japanese survivors. The fighting got worse the closer they got to the Japanese homeland itself. Even with impossible odds, impossible numbers against them, no supplies to speak of, no air force, no fleet - the Japanese defenders fight to the death - every time. Now imagine you are planning on the invasion of Japan itself? What do you think the Japanese defense would have been like? I'll tell you: it would have been beyond anything ever seen in that war.
The Japanese themselves should be grateful a full Allied ground invasion never took place. Their country would not exist today as they know it.
Thanks again - that is a very powerful post. I am so, SO glad I posed my question/request on this thread. The response has been beyond anything I could have hoped for. These are some insights and perspectives I doubt I could have gotten anywhere else. I still need to distill it down into a single email, but at least I have all my material now. Thanks!!