Modern history Germany-occupied [[puppet state]] and an Allies-friendly state in the South; Germany surrendered in May 1945. Following the [[atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]], [[surrender of Japan|Japan surrendered]], marking the end of the war on September 2, 1945. [[File:Underwater Atomic Bomb Test At Bikini Atoll.webm|alt=Atomic Bomb underwater testing, 1946|left|thumb|Atomic Bomb Test, 1946. The use of Nuclear strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought WWII to an abrupt end.]] [[File:Roosevelt Pearl Harbor.ogg|thumb|U.S President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Roosevelt]] declaring war on the [[Empire of Japan|Japanese Empire]] in the aftermath of the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor Attack]]. Captions provided]] [[File:Trumann hiroshima.ogg|thumb|Excerpt of [[President of
Foreign policy of Japan as the champion of the public interest and critic of the government, continues to mold public attitudes strongly. The media is the chief source of demands that the government exercise a more independent and less "weak-kneed" diplomacy in view of the changing world situation and Japan's increased stature in the world. An example of this attitude has been the continued support for whaling through the International Whaling Commission that has brought increasing opposition from several important trading partner countries such as the US, the UK, New Zealand and Australia Japan, since the end of the WWII has operated via a