We take Okinawa, Iwo, Tshuima, Pusan and begin the blockade of the Home Islands. B29’s and fire raids, massive air dropping of mines. Hirohito dies in great Tokyo fire raid. Military shogunate rules Japan.
6. We proceed more slowly in this TL than OTL in part because there is simply no way politically we will be able to redeploy the European armies to the Pacific. The citizen component will have to be demobilized. Fifth and later nukes used to finish off the Japanese Fleet. Shanghai, Yowata, Kure, Burunei, Singapore, Cam Rahn, Yokahama all nuked 45-46. Japanese fleet and merchant marine cease to exist above the coastal craft level. Japanese partially evacuate civil population from Home Islands by light craft over the Sea of Japan. Millions die in transit, tens of millions starve to death in Japan 45-46. The Japanese become an armed diaspora in Asia.
7. We spend 1946 clearing the Philippines and retaking the East Indian oil fields. Japanese basically drive Chiang back into Szechwan, occupy much of rest of China. Mao’s forces savaged. Civilian population of the Japanese Home Islands are gone or dead, but the garrison holds on, awaiting an invasion we do not want to make. Truman has read the projected losses and feels the invasion will be political suicide.
8. Pacific War ends with Japanese on mainland surrendering to the Soviets [Stalin has offered them a deal as a subordinate client state and they take it]. Russians begin to move 12/25/46. Soviets occupy Manchuria, most of China, most of Korea. US threatens to nuke Moscow, second Potsdam conference, 3/8/47, gives Chiang’s forces behind the new Soviet-Maoist-Japanese lines safe passage to a large chunk of South China – Kwangtung through Fukien and out to Szechwan – Japanese Home Islands given to US along with Kuriles and Sakhalin. Japanese and allied forces evacuate Southeast Asia, remaining Pacific strongholds, East Indies, Japan. Take most local reds and nationalists [collaborators] with them. US keeps an enclave in Korea around Pusan. US occupies Taiwan with Han portion of population either following their Japanese masters or being given to Chiang in Canton. It takes till the middle of 1948 to complete the population movements. Everybody cheats. Massacres, repressions, roundups of suspected stay behinds, sleepers sent through with transfers. The alliance structure is off and running. US unilaterally announces that it owns space and will fire on the heat signature of any rocket it sees. Reserves the right to do the same to nuclear installations.
...in the Postwar: essentially Japan Inc. [Manchuria, northern China] is a Soviet client while we have the island of Japan which we have repopulated and Americanized while they made Japanese out of their mixed Asian clients and the children of their comfort women