Emperor Hirohito delivered the 1945 radio address announcing Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration.
Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Shōwa, recorded the address at the Imperial Palace on 14 August 1945. It was broadcast by NHK at noon on 15 August. The speech told listeners that Japan had decided to accept the Allied declaration and end the war.
The address was the first known occasion on which a Japanese emperor spoke directly to the general public by radio. Hirohito’s voice was unfamiliar to most listeners, and the formal classical Japanese made the message difficult for some people to interpret.
Hirohito remained emperor during the Allied occupation and until his death in 1989. His broadcast should not be confused with the formal surrender ceremony, which took place aboard USS Missouri on 2 September 1945 and was signed by government and military representatives.