Emperor Hirohito's radio broadcast announced Japan's acceptance of the Allied surrender terms on August 15, 1945.
The recorded address was broadcast at noon in Japan and became the public announcement of Japan's decision to end the war. Hirohito said that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration, although the formal legal surrender document was signed later.
The date is often called V-J Day, meaning Victory over Japan Day. In the United States, news of the announcement arrived on August 14 because of time-zone differences, so American celebrations began that day. The formal surrender ceremony took place on September 2 aboard USS Missouri, making August 15 the announcement date rather than the signing date.
The recording was difficult for many listeners to understand because it used formal Classical Japanese and had poor sound quality. It was also the first time most Japanese civilians had heard their emperor's voice.