In Japan, on what date was V-J Day first publicly observed in 1945?

In Japan, V-J Day was first publicly observed on August 15, 1945.

That day, Emperor Hirohito’s radio announcement told the Japanese people that the government had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The broadcast occurred shortly after noon in Japan Standard Time and marked the public announcement of Japan’s surrender.

The date can cause confusion because the United States and other countries heard the announcement on August 14 because of time-zone differences. September 2 is another important date: it was when Japanese representatives formally signed the surrender document aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

The term V-J Day therefore has two closely related historical uses: the announcement date and the formal signing date. In Japan, August 15 remains the principal date associated with the announcement and the end of the war.