What type of recording carried Emperor Hirohito's surrender message to Japan in 1945?

Emperor Hirohito's surrender message reached Japan through a phonograph recording rather than a live broadcast.

NHK technicians recorded the emperor at the Imperial Palace late on August 14, 1945. Hirohito made two recordings because the first attempt was considered too quiet; the second became the official version broadcast the next day.

The recording was played at noon on August 15, when the emperor addressed the Japanese public through the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War. It was not a direct live appearance by Hirohito.

The unusual method reflected the political tension surrounding surrender. Some officers attempted to prevent the broadcast, and a group of officers even searched the palace for the recording before the announcement. NHK staff ultimately preserved and transmitted it.