Shūsen-kinenbi is the Japanese name commonly used for August 15, the day commemorating the end of World War II.
The term translates roughly as “war-end memorial day.” It refers to the date in 1945 when Emperor Hirohito’s recorded announcement of Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration was broadcast to the Japanese public.
The Japanese government uses a more formal name, “Day for Mourning of War Dead and Praying for Peace.” August 15 is not a national holiday in Japan, although an annual memorial ceremony is held in Tokyo for those who died in the war.
The date is separate from September 2, when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed aboard USS Missouri. In English-language history, “V-J Day” may refer to August 14 or 15, depending on time zone, or to the formal signing date.