On what date did Japan announce its World War II surrender to the Japanese people?

Japan announced its World War II surrender to the Japanese people on August 15, 1945.

Emperor Hirohito's recorded address was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time. It announced Japan's acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, although the speech used formal language and did not plainly say, in everyday terms, that Japan had surrendered.

The announcement followed the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet declaration of war, and intense debate within Japan's leadership. Hirohito intervened when the cabinet was deadlocked over whether to accept the Allied terms.

August 15 is commonly called V-J Day in Japan and several Allied countries, but it was not the date on which the formal surrender document was signed. That ceremony took place aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, which is why some sources distinguish the announcement date from the legal end of hostilities.