Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast was heard by Japan’s public at noon on August 15, 1945. The announcement was transmitted at 12:00 Japan Standard Time and accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.
The recording had been made late on August 14 after the emperor intervened in the deadlock among Japan’s senior leaders. It was the first time most Japanese civilians had heard Hirohito’s voice, because the emperor’s public communications were normally delivered through formal written statements.
The broadcast used highly formal court language, and many listeners found parts of it difficult to understand. Hirohito referred indirectly to the destructive power of a new weapon and the changing international situation rather than simply saying that Japan had lost.
The public broadcast is associated with August 15, often called V-J Day. It was not the legal surrender ceremony: that took place on September 2 aboard USS Missouri, when representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender.