Which document did Japan formally accept in Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast?

Japan formally accepted the Potsdam Declaration in Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast. The declaration set out Allied terms for ending the war against Japan.

The United States, the United Kingdom, and China issued the declaration on July 26, 1945, from Potsdam, Germany. It demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender and warned of “prompt and utter destruction” if Japan refused. The Soviet Union did not initially sign it because it was still formally neutral in the war against Japan, although it later declared war on Japan on August 8.

The declaration demanded the elimination of militarism, the occupation of designated Japanese territory, and the limitation of Japanese sovereignty to the home islands and other areas determined by the Allies. It also promised that Japan would not be permanently enslaved or destroyed as a nation.

Hirohito’s August 15 broadcast announced acceptance of the declaration, but the legal and ceremonial completion of surrender came on September 2. Japanese officials then signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.