In what language was Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast delivered?

Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast was delivered in Classical Japanese.

The emperor read the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War in an elevated court style rather than the everyday Japanese spoken by most listeners. This formal language reflected the conventions of imperial announcements and made the message sound distant and ceremonial.

The recording was also difficult to hear clearly. The audio quality was poor, and the emperor’s pronunciation was unfamiliar to many people because ordinary Japanese citizens had never heard his voice before. As a result, some listeners could not immediately tell that the government had accepted the Allied terms.

The speech referred to the Potsdam Declaration as a “joint declaration” and did not use a simple sentence equivalent to “Japan has surrendered.” The combination of formal language, indirect wording, and weak audio shaped how the announcement was received.