Which Allied statement did Emperor Hirohito announce Japan would accept on August 15, 1945?

Emperor Hirohito announced that Japan would accept the Potsdam Declaration on August 15, 1945. The declaration set out the Allied terms for Japan’s surrender and demanded the unconditional surrender of Japanese armed forces.

The United States, United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration on July 26, 1945, during the Potsdam Conference. The Soviet Union did not initially sign it because it was not yet at war with Japan, although it later subscribed to the declaration after entering the conflict.

Its terms called for Japan’s disarmament, the removal of leaders associated with militarism, occupation of designated Japanese territory, and the limitation of Japanese sovereignty. It also stated that Japan’s military personnel would be allowed to return home after disarmament.

The document was not itself the final surrender instrument. Rather, it provided the political and legal framework that Japan accepted. The formal surrender was completed when Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2.