Japan’s surrender announcement first reached the Japanese public on August 15, 1945, a date widely associated with V-J Day.
At noon Japan Standard Time, Emperor Hirohito’s recorded message was broadcast by radio. He announced that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, although he used formal language that many listeners found difficult to understand. It was the first time the Japanese public had heard the emperor’s voice.
August 15 is often called V-J Day, meaning Victory over Japan Day, especially in the United States and other Allied countries. However, the date can cause confusion because Japan’s formal surrender document was not signed until September 2, 1945. That ceremony took place aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
The announcement followed several decisive events: the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, the Soviet declaration of war on Japan on August 8, the invasion of Japanese-held Manchuria beginning August 9, and the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9. These events intensified pressure on Japan’s leaders to end the war.