What 1945 declaration set the terms Japan was asked to accept before its surrender?

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

The United States, the United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration on July 26, 1945, during the Potsdam Conference. It called for the unconditional surrender of Japanese armed forces and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused.

The declaration also described Japan’s postwar territorial limits, military disarmament, punishment of war criminals, and the development of democratic freedoms. It stated that Japanese sovereignty would be limited primarily to Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and other islands designated by the Allies.

The document did not directly explain what would happen to Emperor Hirohito. His status was a major concern in Japan, and the ambiguity contributed to difficult negotiations before the government accepted the declaration.