The 1945 Japanese radio broadcast announcing Emperor Hirohito’s acceptance was commonly called Gyokuon-hōsō.
The broadcast aired at noon in Japan on August 15, 1945. Hirohito read an imperial rescript announcing that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. It was the first time most Japanese people had heard the emperor’s voice.
The formal, highly classical language was difficult for many listeners to understand directly. The announcement did not use the simple everyday phrase “Japan surrenders,” but its meaning was clear from the context and subsequent government actions.
Gyokuon-hōsō is often translated as “Jewel Voice Broadcast,” a respectful expression referring to the emperor’s voice. The broadcast followed Japan’s decision to accept the Allied terms and preceded the formal signing of the surrender instrument aboard USS Missouri on September 2.