Context: In 1945, during World War II, Allied forces were waiting for Japan’s response to the Potsdam Declaration, an ultimatum demanding Japan’s surrender. The Japanese government was still deciding how to respond when Prime Minister Suzuki held a press conference.
Translation Error: Suzuki used the Japanese word “mokusatsu” in his statement, which can have multiple meanings depending on context, such as “to ignore” or “to withhold comment.” Unfortunately, the word was interpreted by Allied translators as Japan rejecting the ultimatum, instead of a more neutral meaning, such as “no comment.”
Disastrous Outcome: The interpretation of “mokusatsu” as a rejection was taken as a sign that Japan was unwilling to surrender, which influenced the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Had the word been interpreted more accurately or had the context been understood better, the outcome could have been different.
