Emperor Hirohito's surrender broadcast was heard in Japan on August 15, 1945.
The recorded address, formally called the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, aired at noon Japan Standard Time. Hirohito announced that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, although he used formal classical Japanese and did not plainly say, in everyday language, “Japan surrenders.”
The speech followed the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union's entry into the war against Japan. Many Japanese civilians had never heard the emperor's voice before, making the broadcast a uniquely important moment in Japanese history.
The date can cause confusion because the United States announced the news on August 14 by Washington time, while the formal surrender ceremony took place on September 2. The term V-J Day is therefore associated with different dates in different countries.