On what date was Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast heard by the Japanese public?

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

The recorded address was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time through the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, known as NHK. In it, Hirohito announced that Japan had accepted the provisions of the Allied declaration, although he used formal language rather than plainly saying, “Japan surrenders.”

The speech followed the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, the Soviet declaration of war on Japan, and the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9. It was the first time most Japanese civilians had heard the voice of their emperor.

The recording had been made in the Imperial Palace on the previous night. Supporters of continuing the war attempted to prevent its broadcast, but the recording survived and was transmitted nationwide. The formal surrender document was signed later, on September 2, aboard USS Missouri.