What is the common English name for Hirohito’s 1945 surrender radio address?

Hirohito’s 1945 surrender radio address is commonly known in English as the Jewel Voice Broadcast. Its Japanese name, Gyokuon-hōsō, refers to the emperor’s voice being heard by the public.

The recording was made on August 14, 1945, and broadcast at noon on August 15. It was the first time many ordinary Japanese people had heard the voice of their emperor. The recording was nearly intercepted by officers involved in a failed coup attempt, but palace staff protected it until transmission.

Hirohito did not use a simple conversational announcement. The speech employed formal imperial language and referred to accepting the terms of the Allied declaration. Because the wording was indirect, an announcer clarified after the broadcast that the message meant Japan was surrendering.