What title was given to Japan’s 1945 surrender announcement in the Imperial Rescript read by Hirohito?

Japan’s 1945 surrender announcement was the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War.

Emperor Hirohito recorded the rescript on August 14, 1945, and it was broadcast to the Japanese public at noon on August 15. The message announced that Japan had decided to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. It referred to the use of a “new and most cruel bomb” and warned that continuing the war could lead to the destruction of Japan and human civilization.

The broadcast was historically unusual because most Japanese citizens had never heard the Emperor’s voice. The formal, classical language and the poor quality of the recording made the message difficult for many listeners to understand immediately.

The rescript is not the same thing as the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. The rescript announced the decision, while the instrument was signed later aboard USS Missouri and formally recorded Japan’s capitulation.