Which 1945 declaration did Japan accept when it agreed to surrender to the Allies?

Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration when it agreed to surrender to the Allies in 1945. The declaration demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender and outlined the consequences of continued resistance.

The United States, Britain, and China issued the declaration on July 26, 1945, during the Potsdam Conference in Germany. The Soviet Union later joined the war against Japan and endorsed the declaration after declaring war on Japan in August. The text warned Japan of prompt and complete destruction if it refused the Allied terms.

Japan initially did not accept the declaration. After the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet declaration of war, and intense debate within the Japanese leadership, the government agreed to accept it. Hirohito’s August 15 broadcast conveyed that decision to the public.

The declaration also stated that Japan’s sovereignty would be limited to its main islands and other territories specified by the Allies. Its terms formed the political basis for the later Instrument of Surrender signed aboard the USS Missouri.