9. The Americans decided to deceive the Japanese with a diversionary plan
The argument for blockading and bombarding the Japanese into starvation and eventual submission was considered sound enough that planners for Operation Downfall decided to create a diversion which made it appear that they were adopting that strategy. The deception plan was designated Operation Pastel. Pastel was designed to convince the Japanese that the Allies had decided not to invade the Japanese homeland and were instead planning on striking Japanese bases in China, to tighten the ring surrounding the home islands. Pastel included the creation of fictional units of the USAAF and supporting British and Commonwealth forces.
The main thrust of Operation Pastel was the reduction of Formosa and its use as a staging base for aerial raids against Japanese positions on the Chinese mainland while a major invasion force was assembled, to strike at multiple positions in China. Operation Pastel included dummy airborne landings, similar to those used successfully in Operation Overlord in Europe. The entire intent of Operation Pastel was to convince the Japanese that a threat to their homeland from Okinawa was non-existent, in the hope that southern Kyushu, the most likely target of an invasion staged from Okinawa, would not be reinforced and fortified.