On what date did Hirohito’s recorded surrender announcement first air publicly in Japan?

Hirohito’s recorded surrender announcement first aired publicly in Japan on August 15, 1945.

The address was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time by NHK. It announced that Japan had accepted the terms of the Allied declaration, effectively informing the Japanese public that the war was ending. The speech was prerecorded rather than delivered live.

August 15 is commonly called V-J Day in Japan and several other countries, although the United States traditionally observed V-J Day on August 14 because of the time difference and the timing of the announcement in Washington. The formal signing ceremony took place later, on September 2.

The date can therefore be confused with the legal completion of the surrender. August 15 marks the public announcement in Japan; September 2 marks the signing of the written surrender instrument aboard USS Missouri.