On what date did Japan’s surrender announcement air to the Japanese public?

Japan’s surrender announcement aired to the Japanese public on August 15, 1945. Emperor Hirohito’s recorded address was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time.

The date is commonly associated with V-J Day in Japan. In the United States and some other places, the announcement was heard on August 14 because of time-zone differences. The formal surrender document, however, was not signed until September 2.

Hirohito announced that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration. He referred to the war’s changing circumstances and the destructive power of a new type of bomb, while the military version of his message also emphasized the Soviet Union’s entry into the war.

The announcement followed Japan’s decision to surrender after the atomic bombings and Soviet declaration of war. The broadcast ended months of uncertainty, although Japanese forces in distant areas did not all surrender immediately.