Emperor Hirohito’s 1945 radio broadcast announcing Japan’s surrender was commonly called the Gyokuon-hōsō.
The Japanese term means “Jewel Voice Broadcast,” a respectful reference to the emperor’s voice. Hirohito recorded the speech on August 14, 1945, and it was broadcast at noon on August 15.
The recording used formal court language that many listeners found difficult to understand. It did not plainly use the everyday word “surrender”; instead, it stated that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and would end the war.
The broadcast was historically significant because it was the first time most Japanese civilians had heard the emperor speak. A group of military officers attempted to prevent transmission during the Kyūjō incident, but the recording was preserved and aired. The formal surrender document was signed later, on September 2.