Which Allied document did Japan announce it would accept in August 1945?

Japan announced that it would accept the Potsdam Declaration in August 1945.

Issued on July 26, 1945, the declaration called for Japan’s armed forces to surrender and outlined broad Allied terms for ending the war. It was issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China during the Potsdam Conference, although the Soviet Union had not yet entered the war against Japan when the declaration was first released.

The text warned Japan of “prompt and utter destruction” if it refused to surrender. It also stated that Japanese sovereignty would be limited to the home islands and other territories determined by the Allies. The declaration became the principal political basis for Japan’s surrender.

Hirohito’s August 15 broadcast announced acceptance of the declaration, while the formal Instrument of Surrender signed on September 2 made the capitulation official. The Potsdam Declaration is sometimes confused with the Cairo Declaration of 1943, which addressed Allied war aims concerning Japan but did not serve as the final surrender ultimatum.