Japan’s surrender announcement was made in the United States on August 14, 1945, marking V-J Day there.
The date differed across countries because of time zones. In Japan, Emperor Hirohito’s recorded announcement was broadcast on August 15, while the announcement was heard on August 14 in the United States and much of the Americas. Newspapers and crowds therefore celebrated on August 14 in the United States.
This announcement followed Japan’s decision to accept the Allied surrender terms associated with the Potsdam Declaration. The formal legal surrender came later, on September 2, 1945, when Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
A common mix-up is treating August 14, August 15, and September 2 as competing errors. Each date refers to a different part of the surrender story: the American announcement, the Japanese broadcast, and the formal signing.