Which Allied statement did Japan accept before signing its 1945 surrender document?

Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration before signing its 1945 surrender document.

Issued on 26 July 1945, the declaration set out the Allied terms for Japan’s surrender. It was issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China during the Potsdam Conference. The statement warned that refusal would bring “prompt and utter destruction.”

The declaration called for the disarmament of Japan, the removal of militarist influence, and the occupation of designated points in Japanese territory. It also stated that Japanese sovereignty would be limited to the home islands and other islands determined by the Allies.

The declaration was not the surrender instrument itself. Japan accepted its terms in August, leading to Hirohito’s broadcast, and the formal Instrument of Surrender was signed on 2 September. The Cairo Declaration, issued in 1943, also addressed Japan’s territorial ambitions but was a different document.