Which Japanese emperor announced Japan’s surrender to the public on August 15, 1945?

Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender to the public on August 15, 1945.

His recorded speech, known as the Gyokuon-hōsō or “Jewel Voice Broadcast,” was transmitted at noon Japan Standard Time. It informed the Japanese people that the government had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and would end the war.

The broadcast was historically significant because it was the first time most Japanese citizens had heard the emperor’s voice. Hirohito used formal, classical language, and many listeners struggled to understand the recording clearly. Nevertheless, the meaning was unmistakable: Japan would stop fighting.

The announcement did not itself complete the formal surrender process. Japanese officials signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard the USS Missouri on September 2. Hirohito remained emperor after the war, although the Allied occupation greatly reduced the political role of the imperial institution and required changes to Japan’s constitutional system.