What was the 1945 Japanese imperial surrender broadcast commonly called?

The 1945 Japanese imperial surrender broadcast was commonly called Gyokuon-hōsō.

The Japanese term refers to the emperor’s broadcast of the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War. It is often translated into English as “Jewel Voice Broadcast,” although that translation became common much later than the original Japanese name.

Hirohito recorded the speech inside the Imperial Palace on August 14, 1945. Technicians made more than one recording because the first attempt was considered too quiet. The selected recording was then hidden and transported to the NHK broadcasting station amid an attempted military coup by officers opposed to surrender.

The broadcast did not directly use a simple conversational statement that Japan was surrendering. Instead, Hirohito said that the government had accepted the joint declaration of the Allied powers. Radio announcers subsequently clarified the meaning for listeners.