The Japanese government’s 15 August 1945 surrender broadcast is called Gyokuon-hoso, meaning the Imperial Rescript broadcast.
It carried Emperor Hirohito’s recorded reading of the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War. The recording was broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time and was the first time many Japanese civilians had heard the emperor’s voice.
The speech used formal classical language and poor-quality recording technology, so many listeners found it difficult to understand. It did not use the plain modern phrase “Japan surrenders”; instead, it announced acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and referred indirectly to the war’s consequences.
Gyokuon-hoso is often confused with the later signing ceremony on 2 September. The broadcast announced the decision to surrender, while the Instrument of Surrender legally formalized it weeks later. The broadcast also differs from Hirohito’s separate address to Japanese military personnel on 17 August.