What 1945 Allied declaration set the terms Japan was expected to accept before surrender?

The Potsdam Declaration set the terms Japan was expected to accept before surrender.

The United States, United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration on 26 July 1945 during the Potsdam Conference. It called for the unconditional surrender of Japan’s armed forces and warned that refusal would bring “prompt and utter destruction.”

The declaration also outlined postwar objectives, including disarmament, the removal of militarist influence, occupation of selected Japanese territory, and the establishment of democratic tendencies. It stated that Japanese sovereignty would be limited to the home islands and other islands designated by the Allies.

Japan initially did not accept the declaration. After the atomic bombings, the Soviet entry into the war, and intense debate within Japan’s leadership, Emperor Hirohito announced acceptance of the terms on 15 August. The formal surrender document was signed on 2 September.