According to Japan Standard Time, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s acceptance of surrender terms on August 15, 1945.
The broadcast came shortly after noon and informed the Japanese public that the government had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. It was the first time most Japanese people had heard the emperor’s voice. Hirohito used formal court language, so many listeners found the announcement difficult to understand immediately.
This date is often called V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day. In the United States, the announcement was heard on August 14 because of the time difference, so American commemorations commonly use August 14. Japan’s formal surrender, however, was not completed until September 2, when representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
The announcement followed weeks of military and political crisis, including the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and Japan’s decision to accept the Allied demand for surrender. The August broadcast marked public acknowledgment of the decision, while the September ceremony completed it legally and ceremonially.