What was the name of Hirohito’s August 1945 radio address announcing Japan’s surrender?

Hirohito’s August 1945 radio address announcing Japan’s surrender is known in English as the Jewel Voice Broadcast.

The Japanese name is Gyokuon-hōsō, commonly translated as “Jewel Voice Broadcast.” The title refers respectfully to the emperor’s voice. Hirohito’s recorded message was broadcast by NHK at noon on August 15, 1945, after Japan’s leaders accepted the Potsdam Declaration.

The address did not use a simple modern sentence such as “Japan surrenders.” Instead, it stated that the emperor had ordered the government to accept the Allied declaration. The formal language and poor audio quality meant that some listeners did not immediately understand the announcement’s meaning.

The broadcast should not be confused with the September 2 surrender ceremony. The Jewel Voice Broadcast communicated the decision to the Japanese population; the later ceremony produced the signed document that formally completed the surrender.