How long was the official recording used for Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast?

The official recording used for Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast lasted 4 minutes and 36 seconds.

Hirohito recorded the speech at the Imperial Palace late on 14 August 1945. NHK technicians made two recordings because the first take was considered too soft. The second take became the official version broadcast to Japan at noon the next day.

The message was not a live address. It was played from a phonograph record after a tense night in which military officers attempted to prevent the recording from being broadcast. Rebel officers searched the palace for the records, but palace staff hid them and later moved them safely to the broadcasting station.

The short recording had enormous historical importance. It announced acceptance of the Allied terms, although its indirect language and formal pronunciation left many listeners unsure what the emperor meant until an announcer explained that Japan had surrendered.