Was Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast transmitted live or from a recording?

Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast was transmitted from a prerecorded phonograph recording, not delivered live.

On August 14, 1945, technicians from Japan’s national broadcaster recorded the emperor reading the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The first recording was considered unsatisfactory because Hirohito spoke too softly, so he made a second recording that became the official version.

The recording was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time on August 15. Its formal name is the Gyokuon-hōsō, often translated as the Jewel Voice Broadcast. Hirohito used formal classical Japanese, and the sound quality was poor, so many listeners found the message difficult to understand.

This broadcast is separate from the formal surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri on September 2. The broadcast announced Japan’s acceptance of the Allied terms to the public; the later ceremony completed the official signing process.