In Japan, V-J Day was observed on August 15, 1945, marking the announcement of Japan’s surrender.
Emperor Hirohito’s recorded address was broadcast across Japan at noon on that date. The speech announced that the government had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, although it used formal language and did not plainly say “Japan surrenders.” Many listeners found the broadcast difficult to understand because it was delivered in classical Japanese and the recording quality was poor.
The date can cause confusion because the formal surrender ceremony took place later, on September 2, 1945. The United States commonly commemorates V-J Day on August 14 because the news arrived there on August 14 local time, while Japan and many other countries use August 15.
The August announcement ended organized Japanese resistance in principle, but fighting and isolated holdouts continued in parts of Asia and the Pacific for years. The formal legal surrender was completed aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.