Japan announced its surrender to the Japanese public on August 15, 1945, marking V-J Day in Japan.
At noon Japan Standard Time, Emperor Hirohito’s recorded message was broadcast nationwide. It announced that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, although the formal surrender document had not yet been signed.
The date can cause confusion because of time zones. In the United States, President Harry Truman announced the news on August 14, while Japan was already on August 15. The formal surrender ceremony took place later, on September 2, 1945.
V-J Day means Victory over Japan Day, paralleling V-E Day, which marked Germany’s surrender in Europe. Different countries have historically commemorated different dates associated with Japan’s surrender.