Allied Naval Blockade
Japanese merchant ships became floating coffins by 1945. The U.S. Navy’s Operation Starvation had mined harbors and hunting shipping lanes, sinking over 1,000 vessels. Imports plummeted by 95%. Without oil, ships rarely left port. Without raw materials, factories sat idle. Rice shipments from occupied territories ceased. Both military and civilian populations faced starvation as the noose tightened. Some coastal communities resorted to primitive fishing methods, using hand-thrown nets from shore.
