The point I'm getting at is that in 1945 the Allies were making no demands of Japan that they had not of Germany, and that the Imperial Japanese armed forces had shown themselves the full equal of the Wehrmacht in barbarism. There is an extent to which demands for unconditional surrender were going to make the enemy fight harder, but there is also the extent to which the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the entire command decisions of the Wehrmacht in 1944 call into question whether or not Unconditional surrender changed very much.
Yeah. By 1945, the question Japan's leaders should be asking themselves is whether they'd rather sign a peace treaty before or after the Allies land.
At least in 1944 its possible to pursue "slim chance". 1945, Japan has no method of winning available, except Allied collapse of will happening via distinctly partisan ASBs or something.