How long did Emperor Hirohito’s Gyokuon-hōsō surrender broadcast last?

Emperor Hirohito’s Gyokuon-hōsō surrender broadcast lasted 4 minutes and 36 seconds.

The recording was made at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on 14 August 1945 and broadcast by NHK at noon the next day. It was the first time the Japanese public had heard the Emperor’s voice by radio. The short recording announced acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration and urged the Japanese people to endure the unendurable.

Its language was highly formal and used classical Japanese rather than everyday speech. As a result, many listeners did not immediately grasp the full meaning. The speech also referred to the “new and most cruel bomb” and the changing international situation without giving a simple modern-style declaration of defeat.

The broadcast should be distinguished from the formal surrender ceremony. The radio announcement took place on 15 August, while representatives signed the legal instrument aboard USS Missouri on 2 September. The ceremony itself lasted about 23 minutes, a separate duration often confused with the broadcast’s running time.