Emperor Hirohito delivered the recorded surrender broadcast on August 15, 1945.
Hirohito read the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, which was recorded at the Imperial Palace and broadcast by Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK. The address told the Japanese people that the government had accepted the provisions of the Allied “joint declaration,” meaning the Potsdam Declaration.
The broadcast was historically unusual because ordinary Japanese people had rarely, if ever, heard the emperor’s voice. Hirohito spoke in formal classical Japanese, and the recording’s limited sound quality made the message difficult for many listeners to follow. The word “surrender” was not stated plainly in the rescript, so announcers explained its meaning after the recording ended.
Hirohito remained emperor after the war, although Japan’s political system changed substantially under the Allied occupation. He later became known by his posthumous name, Emperor Shōwa. The surrender broadcast is therefore often called the Shōwa Emperor’s radio address as well as the Jewel Voice Broadcast.