The first radio address in which many ordinary Japanese people heard Emperor Hirohito’s voice was called the Gyokuon-hōsō.
The Japanese term is commonly translated as “Jewel Voice Broadcast.” It refers specifically to Hirohito’s recorded announcement of Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, transmitted on August 15, 1945. The broadcast was carried by Japan’s national broadcasting organization, NHK.
Hirohito recorded the speech on August 14, and the record was secretly protected after officers attempted to prevent the broadcast. The recording was played at noon the next day. Because Hirohito used formal classical Japanese and the audio quality was poor, many listeners did not immediately grasp that Japan had surrendered.
The expression can be misleading when translated too literally. It does not mean that Hirohito delivered a live speech from a studio. It describes a recorded imperial voice broadcast that became one of the most recognizable moments in Japan’s modern history.