Emperor Hirohito broadcast the 1945 announcement accepting the Allied surrender terms.
His recorded address, known as the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, was transmitted to the Japanese public on 15 August 1945. Hirohito stated that Japan had decided to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The formal language and the emperor’s unfamiliar speaking style made the message difficult for many listeners to follow.
The broadcast was historically significant because it was the first time Hirohito’s voice had been heard publicly on Japanese radio. A group of military officers attempted to prevent the recording from being broadcast during the Kyūjō incident, but the coup failed and the recording survived.
Hirohito had reigned since 1926 and remained emperor after the surrender under the Allied occupation. He was not prosecuted as a war criminal, although Japan’s wartime leadership was reorganized and many military and political figures were tried. The emperor’s broadcast announced acceptance, but the legal surrender still required the signing ceremony aboard USS Missouri on 2 September.