When was V-J Day first announced in Japan during World War II?

V-J Day was first announced in Japan on August 15, 1945. Shortly after noon Japan Standard Time, Emperor Hirohito’s recorded announcement accepting the Potsdam Declaration was broadcast nationwide.

The date can be confusing because the announcement occurred on August 14 in the United States and some other places because of time-zone differences. President Harry S. Truman announced the news to Americans on the evening of August 14, Washington time. Japan’s formal surrender ceremony came later, on September 2.

The broadcast marked the effective end of Japan’s wartime resistance, although fighting continued in some areas for a time. In Japan, August 15 is associated with the end of the war and with annual memorial observances. The term V-J Day means Victory over Japan Day, following the Allied abbreviation V-E Day for Victory in Europe Day.