What was the first occasion on which Japan’s Emperor Hirohito spoke directly to the Japanese public?

The 1945 surrender broadcast was the first occasion on which Emperor Hirohito spoke directly to the Japanese public.

His recorded message was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time on August 15, 1945. It read the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War and announced that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

The broadcast was difficult for many listeners to understand. Hirohito used formal Classical Japanese, and the recording quality was poor. The speech also avoided a simple conversational statement such as “Japan has surrendered,” so some listeners did not immediately understand its meaning.

The event is often called Gyokuon-hoso, or the “Jewel Voice Broadcast.” It preceded the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender on September 2. The broadcast therefore marked the public announcement of defeat, while the later ceremony completed the legal and diplomatic process.