What Japanese term commonly names Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast?

Gyokuon-hōsō is the Japanese term commonly used for Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast.

The expression is often translated as “Jewel Voice Broadcast,” although the literal wording refers to the emperor’s voice in an honorific way. Hirohito’s address was the radio reading of the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, delivered to the Japanese public on August 15, 1945.

The speech was recorded in advance at the Imperial Palace rather than broadcast live. Palace and broadcasting staff made two recordings during the night of August 14. The second recording became the official version and was transmitted at noon the next day.

The Gyokuon-hōsō is important not only because it announced acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, but also because it broke a long-standing barrier between the emperor and the public. Many Japanese citizens had never heard the emperor speak. Its formal language and weak sound quality meant that listeners did not always immediately understand that Japan had surrendered.