On what date was Japan’s surrender announced in Japan, marking V-J Day there?

Japan’s surrender was announced in Japan on August 15, 1945, marking V-J Day there.

Emperor Hirohito’s recorded radio address was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time. He told the public that Japan had accepted the Allied terms, though his formal language did not directly use the simple phrase “Japan surrenders.” Many listeners heard the emperor’s voice for the first time.

The date can cause confusion because time zones meant the announcement occurred on August 14 in the United States and some other Allied countries. September 2, 1945, is a separate important date: Japanese representatives signed the formal surrender document aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

Japan’s announcement followed the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet declaration of war, and intense debate within the Japanese government. The military surrender ended organized Japanese resistance, although some isolated soldiers continued fighting for years afterward.