On what date was Hirohito's recorded surrender address broadcast to Japan?

Hirohito’s recorded surrender address was broadcast to Japan on 15 August 1945.

NHK aired the message at noon Japan Standard Time. In it, Hirohito announced that Japan had accepted the provisions of the Allied declaration and instructed the Japanese people to endure the situation. The address followed the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet declaration of war against Japan.

The recording itself had been made late on 14 August at the Imperial Palace. It was not broadcast live because the emperor’s words had to be recorded and prepared for transmission. A group of military officers attempted to prevent the broadcast during the night, but the recordings were hidden and safely delivered to NHK.

This date is sometimes called V-J Day, especially in the United States, although 2 September marks the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender. The two dates therefore refer to related but distinct stages of Japan’s surrender.