On what date was Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast first heard by Japan’s public?

Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast was first heard by Japan’s public on August 15, 1945.

The recorded speech was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time. Hirohito announced that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, although the formal Instrument of Surrender would not be signed until September 2 aboard USS Missouri.

The broadcast was historically unusual because it was the first known occasion on which ordinary Japanese people heard the voice of their emperor. Hirohito spoke in formal Classical Japanese, and the poor sound quality made the message difficult for many listeners to understand immediately.

The speech is often called the Jewel Voice Broadcast, or Gyokuon-hōsō. In the United States, V-J Day celebrations began on August 14 because the news arrived during the previous calendar day in American time zones.