What English nickname is commonly given to Emperor Hirohito’s 15 August 1945 surrender broadcast?

Emperor Hirohito’s 15 August 1945 surrender broadcast is commonly called the Jewel Voice Broadcast.

The Japanese name is Gyokuon-hōsō, meaning roughly “broadcast of the jeweled voice.” It was a recording of the Emperor reading the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War. The recording was transmitted over radio at noon Japan Standard Time.

Many listeners found the speech difficult to understand because Hirohito used formal classical Japanese and the recording quality was poor. He also did not use a simple, direct phrase such as “Japan surrenders,” so a follow-up explanation clarified the meaning for the public.

The broadcast announced acceptance of the Allied terms, but it was not the same as the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender. That ceremony took place aboard USS Missouri on 2 September 1945.