NHK broadcast Hirohito’s surrender announcement in 1945.
NHK, then known as the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, transmitted the emperor’s recorded address at noon on August 15, 1945. The message announced Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration and became one of the most consequential radio broadcasts in Japanese history.
The recording was made inside the Tokyo Imperial Palace on August 14. NHK technicians prepared the equipment while Japan’s cabinet debated the wording of the rescript. Hirohito recorded the speech twice, with the second recording selected as the official version.
The broadcast nearly failed because a group of army officers attempted a coup in the early hours of August 15. The rebels tried to prevent the recording from reaching the radio station, but the recordings were hidden and eventually delivered safely. NHK engineers then transmitted the announcement as planned.