Which Japanese emperor delivered the recorded announcement accepting surrender in August 1945?

Emperor Hirohito delivered the recorded announcement accepting Japan’s surrender in August 1945.

The broadcast was transmitted at noon on August 15, 1945, through Japan’s national radio network, NHK. Hirohito read the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, telling the Japanese public that the government had accepted the terms of the Allied declaration. His formal court language and the poor sound quality made the message difficult for many listeners to understand immediately.

The recording was made inside the Imperial Palace on August 14. Hirohito recorded the speech twice, and the second recording became the version broadcast. The announcement is often called the Jewel Voice Broadcast, although that English label became common much later.

The broadcast announced Japan’s decision, but it was not the final legal surrender ceremony. Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.