On which date did Hirohito’s recorded surrender message reach the Japanese public?

Hirohito’s recorded surrender message reached the Japanese public on August 15, 1945.

The broadcast aired at noon Japan Standard Time through NHK. It announced that Japan had accepted the provisions of the Allied declaration, although the emperor used formal language and did not directly say the word “surrender” in the rescript.

The message came after Hiroshima was bombed on August 6, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan on August 8, and Nagasaki was bombed on August 9. These events created a rapidly changing military and diplomatic crisis within Japan’s leadership.

The date is central to Japanese remembrance of the war’s end. It is also associated with V-J Day, although the formal surrender documents were not signed until September 2. Time-zone differences meant the announcement was heard on August 14 in parts of the Americas.