Which declaration did Emperor Hirohito announce Japan had accepted in his August 1945 radio broadcast?

Emperor Hirohito announced that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration in his August 1945 radio broadcast.

The declaration was issued on July 26, 1945, by the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. It demanded Japan’s surrender and outlined broad conditions for ending the war, warning of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused.

The Soviet Union did not sign the original declaration because it was not yet at war with Japan. After the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan, it joined the declaration’s position.

Hirohito’s broadcast on August 15 said that Japan had accepted the declaration’s terms. The formal surrender document was then signed aboard USS Missouri on September 2, making the announcement and the legal ceremony separate events.