Gyokuon-hōsō is the Japanese name for Emperor Hirohito’s recorded surrender broadcast of August 15, 1945.
The term is commonly translated as “Jewel Voice Broadcast,” a respectful reference to the emperor’s voice. Hirohito recorded the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War on August 14, and the recording was broadcast to the Japanese public at noon the next day.
The address did not use a simple modern phrase equivalent to “we surrender.” Instead, it used formal classical language and referred to Japan accepting the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. Many listeners struggled to understand the recording, so an official explanation followed to make the surrender clear.
The broadcast became a defining moment in modern Japanese history because the emperor had never previously addressed the nation by radio. It announced the end of fighting in practical terms, but the legal surrender still required the Instrument of Surrender, signed aboard USS Missouri on September 2.