What was the title of Emperor Hirohito’s 15 August 1945 surrender address?

The title of Emperor Hirohito’s 15 August 1945 surrender address was the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War.

Hirohito read the rescript in a recorded address broadcast at noon Japan Standard Time. It announced Japan’s acceptance of the terms set out in the Potsdam Declaration and told the Japanese people that continuing the war would bring further destruction.

The Japanese title is commonly rendered in English as Gyokuon-hōsō, meaning the “Jewel Voice Broadcast.” That popular label describes the broadcast’s extraordinary nature rather than serving as the formal title of the document. The official English rendering is “Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War.”

The rescript was not the same document as the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. The rescript announced acceptance to the public on 15 August; the Instrument of Surrender was signed by representatives aboard USS Missouri on 2 September.