Which emperor announced Japan’s surrender in the 1945 radio broadcast known as the Gyokuon-hōsō?

Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender in the Gyokuon-hōsō radio broadcast.

Hirohito’s recorded message was transmitted at noon on August 15, 1945. It read an imperial rescript directing the Japanese government to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The broadcast was the first time many Japanese people had heard the emperor’s voice.

The speech used formal court language and did not plainly say, in everyday terms, “Japan surrenders.” Instead, it referred to accepting the Allied declaration and enduring the unendurable. The unfamiliar style and poor radio reception caused some listeners to struggle to understand the message immediately.

The recording had been made on August 14 at the Imperial Palace. A group of military officers attempted a coup during the night to prevent the recording from being broadcast, but the plot failed. Hirohito’s announcement came before the formal surrender ceremony, which he did not personally attend. Japan’s representatives signed the legal instrument aboard USS Missouri on September 2.