For me, it is actually the opposite. Used to take Noam Chomsky / Howard Zinn line on this topic when I was in college, but the more I learn about the Supreme War Council's conduct in the final months of the war, the more convinced I become that these bombings were inevitable. https://twitter.com/Comparativist/status/1291323709827854336

I am not arguing that the nuclear bombs were morally justified. Far from it. But Japan was actively inviting these outcomes with a series of disastrous decisions, all in defense of their fascist regime. Besides, Curtis Lemay was already preparing a huge fire bombing campaign.

First of all, Japan started the entire war with Pearl Harbor. So the onus was on them to talk to the three powers (US, UK, and China) and end the war immediately after the island hopping campaign gave all major aerial bombing launch pads to the US. They didn't.

Just think of this timeline:
27 JUL 1944: Guam lost. Didn't surrender.
8 AUG 1944: The Marianas lost. Didn't surrender.
25 OCT 1944: Kamikaze attacks begin.
26 OCT 1944: US victory in Leyte Gulf. Didn't surrender.
10 MAR 1945: Fire-bombing on Tokyo. Didn't surrender.

26 MAR 1945: Iwo Jima lost. Didn't surrender.
1 APR 1945: Okinawa invaded. Didn't surrender.
8 MAY 1945: Germany capitulated. Japan didn't surrender.
14 MAY 1945: A German submarine carrying uranium oxide (U-234), destined to Japan, captured by the US.

At this time, Hirohito still argued for a "major strike" to terminate the war on more favourable terms
9 JUN 1945: PM Suzuki vows to "fight to the end" and not accept unconditional surrender.
22 JUN 1945: Okinawa lost. Didn't surrender.

22 JUN 1945: Hirohito + Big Six decide to try to pursue the end of the war through the Soviets' help, without talking to the US. Hirohito finally gave up the idea of a "major strike"
28 JUN 1945: Philippines lost. Didn't surrender.

10 JUL 1945: 1K bomber raids on Japan. Didn't surrender.
14 JUL 1945: US ships bombarding mainland directly. Didn't surrender.
26 JUL 1945: Potsdam ultimatum to Japan, promising a "prompt and utter destruction". Didn't surrender.

29 JUL 1945: Japanese submarine sank USS Indianapolis, killing 881 crewmen on board (many survived initial blast but were later killed by sharks). Not many people remember this.
6 AUG 1945: Hiroshima. Didn't surrender (!!!!)

8 AUG 1945: Soviets declare war on Japan. Didn't surrender immediately (!!!)
9 AUG 1945: Nagasaki. Supreme War Council finally decides to accept Potsdam terms and talk to the US.
14 AUG 1945: Crazies in the cabinet tried to pull off a coup to keep fighting. Coup failed.

14 AUG 1945: Japan surrendered.

Japan could've avoided all this senseless slaughter on its main islands by simply talking to the US and accepting unconditional surrender in late July. But the Supreme War Council idiots thought they could still engineer a favourable end.

The favourable outcome in their mind was the preservation of kokutai (國體), i.e. a government with Hirohito still at the top. That would effectively minimize the risk of war crimes trials for all of the key decision makers and maximize their survival after the war.

So, in essence, hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians died (and many Japanese and US combatants) because their fascist leaders didn't want (or have guts) to hold themselves accountable for the disastrous war. End.