Unconditional Surrender Policy Prolonged World War 2

What terms, in your opinion, of a "negotiated peace" should the allies have accepted?

"I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it." - Groucho Marx

What terms, in your opinion, of a "negotiated peace" should the allies have accepted?
The Japanese had only one condition: that they keep their emperor. Since they ended up keeping their emperor after the unconditional surrender as well, this must have been acceptable.

However, the US wanted a power-demonstration to the Soviets. And the Soviets, on their part, wanter Manchuria which is why they ignored Japan's pleas. Hiroshima and Nagasaki, therefore, were the consequences of politics which didn't really have anything to do with Japan.

I agree with your points. Here is an interesting article from "Stars and Stripes" published last year.

http://www.stripes.com/news/special-reports/world-war-ii-the-final-chapter/wwii-victory-in-japan/would-japan-have-surrendered-without-the-atomic-bombings-1.360300

Here's a Google search:

https://www.google.com/#q=japanese+surrender+before+atomic+bomb

"I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it." - Groucho Marx

Since they ended up keeping their emperor after the unconditional surrender as well, this must have been acceptable.
That is incorrect. When the Japanese envoy to Moscow suggested as much, he was told in no uncertain terms that this was not acceptable. This was known to the US government as they were reading Japanese diplomatic communications. It was not until the Nagasaki Bomb that they decided to accept the Potsdam terms hoping that the fact the Allies did not specifically call for the abolition of the monarchy meant they could keep it.

Japan. in fact, made no pleas for terms and indeed has no idea what terms they might ask for, except that they wanted much more than the Allies had offered. Their public reply to the Potsdam Declaration was not a counter-offer, but a statement that they would fight to the end.

That is incorrect. When the Japanese envoy to Moscow suggested as much, he was told in no uncertain terms that this was not acceptable. This was known to the US government as they were reading Japanese diplomatic communications. It was not until the Nagasaki Bomb that they decided to accept the Potsdam terms hoping that the fact the Allies did not specifically call for the abolition of the monarchy meant they could keep it.
This in no way contradicts what I said. The fact that Japan got to keep their emperor proves conclusively, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this outcome was acceptable to the allies. Hence, the condition would also have been acceptable. However, the Japanese were told it was acceptable, but that's politics for you. The reason it was not acceptable was because of the upcoming power struggle between East and West, which both the Americans and Soviets knew were coming. They both needed to flex muscles, and this was no time to appear weak. Japan had nothing to do with that, they were simply caught in the middle.

So while it was perfectly acceptable that Japan keep their emperor, in fact preferable for the aftermath, the Americans and Russians both refused peace for reasons which had nothing to do with Japan. Japan's conditions were fine, that was not the issue. But the Allies could hardly be honest with their reasons to refuse, could they?

But the Allies could hardly be honest with their reasons to refuse, could they?
Refuse what?

JAPAN OFFERED NO CONDITIONS SAVE TO FIGHT TO THE END BEFORE NAGASAKI.

None.

They categorically rejected the proposal that they accept the Potsdam terms with a guarantee the emperor would remain.

Both in public and in their private diplomatic correspondence they said they intended to cause such casualties among the invading forces that the Allies would give up - even if it meant tens of millions of Japanese dead.

Any claim that they would have accepted surrender on the basis of the (rather generous) Potsdam terms if the position of the Emperor was guaranteed before 9 August 1945 is complete contradicted by the documented facts.

Wasn't it the Emperor himself who told the military government to accept the Potsdam Accords?

"I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn’t it." - Groucho Marx

Yes it was followed almost immediately thereafter by a coup attempt by some Army officers to prevent it.