Japan announced its acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration and surrender on August 15, 1945. Emperor Hirohito’s recorded radio address was broadcast to the Japanese public at noon Japan Standard Time.
The announcement followed the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet Union’s declaration of war on Japan, and intense debate inside Japan’s leadership. Hirohito intervened in favor of accepting the Allied terms after the cabinet remained divided.
The announcement ended major combat planning but did not itself complete the legal surrender. Japan’s representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
In the United States, V-J Day is often dated August 14 because the announcement reached American audiences on August 14, due to the time difference. August 15 is the Japanese calendar date of the broadcast and is widely commemorated in Japan.