On what date was Japan's surrender announced to the Japanese public in 1945?

Japan's surrender was announced to the Japanese public on August 15, 1945. Emperor Hirohito's recorded radio address told listeners that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, although it used formal language rather than a simple phrase such as “Japan surrenders.”

The broadcast occurred at noon Japan Standard Time and became known as the Gyokuon-hōsō, or Jewel Voice Broadcast. It was historically significant because it was the first time many Japanese civilians had heard the emperor's voice. The recording had been made the previous night at the Imperial Palace.

The date can cause confusion because time zones meant that the announcement was heard as August 14 in much of the Americas. September 2 is another important date: that was when Japanese representatives formally signed the surrender document aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

In Japan, August 15 is commonly associated with the end-of-war commemoration, while different Allied countries have used either the announcement date or the formal signing date for V-J Day observances.