In what language did Emperor Hirohito deliver the recorded speech announcing Japan’s surrender?

Emperor Hirohito delivered the recorded speech announcing Japan’s surrender in Classical Japanese.

The formal language made the address difficult for many ordinary listeners to understand. Hirohito’s courtly pronunciation, unfamiliar vocabulary, and the poor quality of the recording meant that some people did not immediately realize Japan had surrendered. A radio announcer clarified the meaning after the speech ended.

The address was the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, recorded inside the Imperial Palace on August 14 and broadcast at noon on August 15, 1945. It referred to acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration and mentioned the destructive power of the atomic bomb without using an informal, direct announcement.

This linguistic detail is important because the broadcast was historically unprecedented: it was the first known time ordinary Japanese people heard their emperor’s voice. The speech was not a live address; it was a replay of a phonograph recording made the previous night.