In Japan, on what date was V-J Day’s initial surrender announcement made in 1945?

In Japan, V-J Day’s initial surrender announcement was made on 15 August 1945.

Emperor Hirohito’s recorded broadcast, known as the Gyokuon-hōsō or Imperial Rescript of Surrender, was transmitted at noon Japan Standard Time. It announced that Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and would end the war. For many people in Japan, this was the first direct indication that the country had surrendered.

The date can be confusing because the announcement occurred on 14 August in the United States and much of the Americas because of the International Date Line and time-zone differences. A separate date, 2 September 1945, marks the formal signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Thus, references to V-J Day can mean either the public announcement or the later signing, depending on the country and historical context.