NHK aired Emperor Hirohito's surrender announcement in August 1945.
NHK, then known as the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, broadcast the Emperor's recorded address at noon on August 15, 1945. The speech announced that Japan had accepted the Allied declaration and instructed the Japanese people to endure the situation and work toward the future.
The address was not transmitted live. NHK technicians recorded Hirohito at the Imperial Palace on the night of August 14, and the recording was replayed the next day. Officials had feared that opponents of surrender might prevent the broadcast, and a palace coup attempt took place before the recording reached the station.
Many listeners found the message difficult to understand because it used formal Classical Japanese and poor-quality audio. It was nevertheless historically significant: it was probably the first time ordinary Japanese people had heard the voice of their emperor.