On which date was Hirohito's surrender broadcast heard in Japan?

Hirohito’s surrender broadcast was heard in Japan on 15 August 1945.

The address was transmitted at noon Japan Standard Time by NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster. It announced the emperor’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, which demanded the surrender of Japanese armed forces. The speech is widely treated as the public announcement of Japan’s surrender, although the legal signing ceremony occurred later.

The date can appear differently in accounts from other countries because of time zones. In the United States, President Harry Truman announced Japan’s surrender on 14 August Washington time. That is why some American historical references associate the initial V-J Day announcement with 14 August, while Japan and much of the British Commonwealth remember 15 August.

The formal surrender document was not signed until 2 September aboard USS Missouri. Consequently, V-J Day has more than one commonly used date, depending on whether the reference is to the broadcast announcement or the official signing.