My work concerns the relationship between war and peace. The question of how to end war is both old and new but has grown in importance as the number of civil wars continues to increase around the world. Shedding light on the process of war termination, my research focuses on Japan’s diplomatic strategies at the end of World War II, especially how Japan’s foreign policies were influenced by issues of diplomatic trust. My findings suggest that political leaders decide whether to end wars based on anticipated results, as well as by the extent to which they believe the enemy can be trusted.