On what date was Emperor Hirohito’s recorded surrender speech broadcast to Japan in 1945?

Emperor Hirohito’s recorded surrender speech was broadcast on August 15, 1945.

The address, formally called the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, was transmitted at noon Japan Standard Time. Hirohito announced that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, although he used formal language rather than a simple phrase such as “Japan surrenders.”

The speech followed the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the Soviet declaration of war on Japan, and the bombing of Nagasaki. It was recorded inside the Imperial Palace on August 14 and replayed the next day rather than delivered live.

August 15 is commonly associated with Japan’s surrender in Japan and many Allied countries. In the United States, however, President Harry Truman announced the surrender on August 14 Washington time, while the formal signing occurred on September 2. These different time zones and milestones explain why V-J Day is sometimes given two dates.