On what date did Japan announce its decision to surrender in 1945?

Japan announced its decision to surrender on August 15, 1945.

On that date, Emperor Hirohito’s recorded Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War was broadcast to the Japanese public. The announcement said that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and would end the war. In Japan, the broadcast is commonly called the Gyokuon-hōsō, or “Jewel Voice Broadcast.”

The announcement came after Japan’s leaders debated surrender amid the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet declaration of war, and the invasion of Japanese-held Manchuria. Japan’s government had informed the Allies of its acceptance on August 14, but the public broadcast occurred on August 15.

August 15 is often called V-J Day in Japan and several other countries. It is distinct from September 2, when Japanese representatives formally signed the surrender instrument aboard USS Missouri. The United States announced its V-J Day observance on August 14 because of the international date line and time differences.