Which declaration’s terms did Japan agree to accept when it surrendered in 1945?

Japan agreed to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration when it surrendered in 1945.

The United States, United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration on July 26, 1945, from Potsdam, Germany. It demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender and outlined the consequences of continued resistance, including occupation, disarmament, and the removal of militarist influence.

The declaration stated that Japanese sovereignty would be limited to the home islands and other islands determined by the Allies. It also promised that the Japanese people would not be enslaved or destroyed, while requiring the elimination of the institutions and leaders associated with aggressive war.

Japan initially rejected the declaration publicly, but after the atomic bombings, the Soviet declaration of war, and intense internal debate, the Japanese government notified the Allies that it accepted the terms. The Cairo Declaration of 1943 helped establish earlier Allied aims, but it was the Potsdam Declaration that Japan formally accepted as the basis for surrender.