What was the name of Hirohito's recorded radio address broadcast to Japan on August 15, 1945?

Hirohito's recorded radio address broadcast on August 15, 1945, is known as the Jewel Voice Broadcast.

The broadcast was the first time most Japanese people heard the voice of their emperor. Hirohito read the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War in formal Classical Japanese. The recording was transmitted at noon Japan Standard Time through Japan Broadcasting Corporation, now known as NHK.

The speech did not plainly use the word “surrender.” Instead, Hirohito said that Japan had accepted the provisions of the Allied declaration. The unfamiliar language, poor audio quality, and indirect wording made the meaning difficult for many listeners to understand until an announcer clarified that Japan had surrendered.

The recording had been made the previous night at the Imperial Palace. Army officers opposed to ending the war attempted to seize it during the Kyūjō incident, but the recordings were hidden and preserved. The Jewel Voice Broadcast therefore depended not only on the emperor's decision but also on the survival of the physical records.