What was the 1945 Allied declaration that Japan accepted when it agreed to surrender?

Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration when it agreed to surrender in 1945.

The declaration was issued on July 26, 1945, by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. It demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused. The Soviet Union was not yet a signatory because it was still officially neutral toward Japan at that point.

The document outlined broad Allied aims, including the elimination of Japanese militarism, limitation of Japanese sovereignty, occupation of designated territory, and establishment of conditions for peace and democracy. It did not spell out every detail of the postwar occupation.

Japan initially rejected the declaration publicly. After Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Soviet entry into the war against Japan, Emperor Hirohito supported acceptance. Japan communicated its willingness to accept the terms in August, and the surrender instrument was signed on September 2.