Emperor Hirohito’s Jewel Voice Broadcast announced Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration on August 15, 1945.
The recording was made on August 14 and broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time the next day. It marked the first time most Japanese civilians had heard the emperor’s voice. Hirohito used formal court language, so many listeners struggled to understand that he was announcing surrender.
Japan’s cabinet had agreed to accept the Allied terms after intense debate. The emperor’s decision helped break the deadlock, although fighting continued in some areas after the broadcast. The announcement was not the same as the formal legal surrender: Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri on September 2.
The date can cause confusion because the United States observed V-J Day on August 14, owing to the time difference when President Harry Truman announced the news. Many other countries commemorate V-J Day on August 15, the date of Hirohito’s broadcast.