At what time was Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast first heard in Japan on August 15, 1945?

Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast was first heard in Japan at noon Japan Standard Time on August 15, 1945. The recording announced that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration and would end the war.

The address was not a live speech. Hirohito recorded it at the Imperial Palace on the night of August 14, and the recording was transmitted by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, known as NHK, at noon the next day. It was the first time most Japanese people had heard the emperor’s voice.

The speech used formal Classical Japanese and had poor audio quality, so many listeners could not immediately understand its meaning. Hirohito did not use a simple modern phrase equivalent to “Japan surrenders.” Instead, he said that Japan had decided to accept the Allied declaration and asked the people to endure the unbearable.

Hardline army officers attempted to prevent the broadcast during the Kyūjō incident, searching for the recordings and trying to seize broadcasting facilities. The recordings survived, and the announcement was transmitted as planned.