What title did Emperor Hirohito's 15 August 1945 radio document announcing Japan's surrender carry?

Emperor Hirohito's 15 August 1945 radio document announcing Japan's surrender was the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War.

The rescript was recorded at the Imperial Palace on 14 August and broadcast at noon on 15 August. It instructed the Japanese people to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and end the war. This broadcast became known as the Jewel Voice Broadcast, or Gyokuon-hōsō, because it was the first time most Japanese people had heard the emperor's voice.

Hirohito did not use the plain modern phrase “Japan surrenders.” Instead, the formal language referred to the changing military situation and the need to endure the unbearable. The recording was difficult for many listeners to understand because of the emperor's classical pronunciation and the formal style of the text.

The broadcast announced Japan's decision, but it did not replace the formal surrender document. That legal ceremony occurred on 2 September aboard USS Missouri. The distinction between the announcement and the signing explains why both dates appear in accounts of Japan's surrender.