Which Allied declaration set the terms Japan accepted before surrendering in 1945?

The Potsdam Declaration set the terms Japan accepted before surrendering in 1945.

Issued on 26 July 1945, the declaration called for the unconditional surrender of Japan’s armed forces. It was issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China during the Potsdam Conference. The statement warned that rejecting its terms would bring “prompt and utter destruction.”

The declaration outlined major postwar conditions, including the disarmament of Japanese forces, the removal of leaders responsible for militarism, and the limitation of Japanese sovereignty to the home islands and other territories designated by the Allies. It also stated that Japan’s people would not be enslaved or destroyed as a nation.

Japan initially responded with the policy of mokusatsu, a term often translated as “ignore” or “withhold comment.” After further military and political shocks, Hirohito directed the government to accept the declaration’s terms. The declaration should not be confused with the later Japanese Instrument of Surrender, which formally recorded that acceptance.