In the 1945 Hirohito surrender broadcast, at what time did NHK air the recording in Japan?

NHK aired Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time on August 15.

The message was not delivered live. Emperor Hirohito recorded the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War at the Imperial Palace late on August 14. NHK technicians then prepared the recording for transmission, while officials struggled to keep the announcement from being disrupted by military opponents of surrender.

The broadcast was historically significant because it was the first time most Japanese civilians had heard their emperor’s voice. Hirohito used formal Classical Japanese, and the poor recording quality made the words difficult for many listeners to understand. A radio announcer clarified afterward that the message meant Japan was ending the war.

The timing also explains a common date confusion. The announcement was heard in Japan on August 15, even though many Allied countries, including the United States, had already received surrender news on August 14 because of the international date line and time-zone differences.