On what date was V-J Day observed in Japan in 1945?

V-J Day was observed in Japan on 15 August 1945, when Emperor Hirohito’s surrender announcement was broadcast to the public.

The recorded message announced Japan’s acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, which demanded Japan’s surrender. It was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time, shortly after the government had notified the Allies of its decision.

The date can be confusing because different countries used different dates. In the United States, the announcement was heard on 14 August because of the time difference. The formal signing of the surrender document occurred later, on 2 September 1945, aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

Japan’s government later gave 15 August the official name “Memorial Day for the War Dead and Praying for Peace.” V-J Day is therefore associated both with the public announcement and, in some contexts, with the later formal surrender ceremony.