On what date did Emperor Hirohito’s recorded surrender address air in Japan in 1945?

Emperor Hirohito’s recorded surrender address aired in Japan on August 15, 1945. Broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time, it announced that Japan had accepted the Allied terms set out in the Potsdam Declaration.

The speech was formally titled the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War. Hirohito did not use a simple conversational phrase such as “Japan surrenders.” Instead, he used formal court language and referred to accepting the Allied declaration. Many listeners found the recording difficult to understand because of the archaic language and unfamiliar voice.

The date can be confused with September 2, 1945, when Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. August 15 marks the public announcement in Japan, while September 2 marks the formal signing that ended hostilities. In the United States, V-J celebrations began on August 14 because of the time difference.