Emperor Hirohito authorized the surrender decision announced in August 1945.
Hirohito intervened in the Japanese leadership crisis after the atomic bombings and the Soviet entry into the war. On August 10, the government began preparing an offer to accept the Potsdam Declaration, subject to preserving the emperor’s position.
On August 14, Hirohito approved the surrender decision and recorded an address accepting the Allied terms. The recording was broadcast to the Japanese public on August 15, marking the first time many Japanese people had heard the emperor’s voice.
The surrender decision faced opposition from military hardliners, who attempted the Kyūjō incident, a coup intended to prevent the recording from being broadcast. The coup failed. Hirohito remained emperor after the war, although Japan’s political system was transformed during the Allied occupation.