What was the traditional name of Hirohito’s 1945 surrender radio broadcast?

The traditional name of Hirohito’s 1945 surrender broadcast is Gyokuon-hōsō.

The Japanese term is commonly translated as “Jewel Voice Broadcast.” It refers to the August 15, 1945, radio transmission in which Emperor Hirohito read the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War and announced Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration.

The phrase reflects the traditional reverence surrounding the emperor’s voice. Before this broadcast, ordinary Japanese people had generally never heard their emperor speak publicly. The address was not delivered live; it was recorded on phonograph discs at the Imperial Palace the previous night and then broadcast by NHK.

The announcement was indirect and difficult to understand. Hirohito spoke in formal classical Japanese, and the recording had poor sound quality. Because the word “surrender” was not used plainly in the rescript, a radio announcer explained its meaning after the recording ended.