Emperor Hirohito’s 1945 radio broadcast announcing Japan’s surrender was called the Gyokuon-hōsō.
The Japanese term is commonly translated as “Jewel Voice Broadcast.” It refers specifically to the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, which Hirohito recorded on August 14, 1945, and which was broadcast on August 15.
The broadcast was historically unusual because Japan’s emperor had rarely, if ever, been heard directly by the general population. Hirohito spoke in formal court language, and the recording was transmitted after Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration. Listeners understood that the country had lost the war, even though the speech avoided a simple conversational statement of surrender.
The broadcast should not be confused with the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. The Gyokuon-hōsō was a public announcement; the written instrument was signed aboard the USS Missouri on September 2. Both events are central to the history of V-J Day.