Emperor Hirohito’s 15 August 1945 radio announcement of Japan’s surrender was the Gyokuon-hōsō. The Japanese term is often translated as “Jewel Voice Broadcast,” referring respectfully to the emperor’s voice. Hirohito announced that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, which demanded the country’s unconditional surrender.
The broadcast was recorded on a phonograph disc at the Imperial Palace on 14 August and transmitted at noon Japan Standard Time on 15 August. It was the first known occasion on which the Japanese emperor had spoken directly to the general population. Many listeners struggled to understand the formal classical Japanese and poor radio sound quality, but the message’s meaning soon became clear.
The broadcast is sometimes confused with the formal surrender ceremony. The Gyokuon-hōsō announced Japan’s decision, while the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed aboard USS Missouri on 2 September 1945. The two events are therefore associated with different dates and purposes.