On what date did Japan publicly announce its surrender in 1945?

Japan publicly announced its surrender on 15 August 1945. Emperor Hirohito’s recorded radio address told the Japanese people that the government had accepted the Allies’ terms and would end the war.

The announcement followed Japan’s decision to accept the Potsdam Declaration, issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China in July 1945. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, together with the Soviet Union’s entry into the war against Japan, intensified the crisis facing Japanese leaders.

The date can be confusing because the formal surrender ceremony took place later, on 2 September 1945. Time zones also explain why the United States commonly marked 14 August as V-J Day, while Japan and several other countries observed 15 August. The announcement ended major combat, but the legal surrender required signed documents aboard USS Missouri.