On what date was Emperor Hirohito's surrender broadcast first aired in Japan?

Emperor Hirohito's surrender broadcast was first aired in Japan on August 15, 1945.

Known as the Jewel Voice Broadcast, the recording was transmitted at noon Japan Standard Time by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, or NHK. It announced that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration, which demanded the surrender of Japan's armed forces.

The date can cause confusion because Allied governments announced Japan's surrender on August 14 in North American time zones. The formal signing of the surrender document took place later, on September 2, aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Thus, August 15 is the key date for the emperor's public announcement, while September 2 marks the formal ceremony.

The speech was prerecorded on August 14 inside the Tokyo Imperial Palace and replayed the next day. It was the first time most Japanese people had heard their emperor's voice. Its formal classical Japanese wording did not directly use the ordinary word for surrender, so a radio announcer clarified the meaning afterward.