Which Allied declaration did Emperor Hirohito say Japan had accepted in his surrender broadcast?

Emperor Hirohito said Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration in his surrender broadcast.

The Potsdam Declaration was issued on July 26, 1945, by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. It demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender and outlined broad conditions for ending the war.

In his August 15 radio address, Hirohito referred to accepting the declaration rather than using a simple sentence announcing surrender. The formal, classical Japanese wording and poor recording quality made the message difficult for many listeners to understand.

The Soviet Union joined the war against Japan after the declaration was issued. Japan’s acceptance led to the August announcement and then to the signed surrender instrument aboard USS Missouri on September 2.