Since this is the 74th Anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, I have seen a lot of debate about whether or bombing were justified with both sides discussing how close to surrender they were.
I've seen people say that with Russia joining the war and the destruction of most of their air force and navy that the Japanese were attempting negotiations. Then I've also seen people say that even after the atomic bombs were dropped that the Japanese Ministry of War urged the people to continue the fight, before being overruled by the Emperor.
So, just how close was Japan to surrendering before the bombs dropped?
This is a great question that doesn't have a straightforward answer -- I'd urge you to look through this section of our FAQ and in particular this answer.
Edit: This more recent answer from u/restricteddata is the one I was thinking of, actually.