Hirohito delivered the surrender broadcast that announced Japan’s acceptance of the Allied terms in 1945.
Hirohito was Japan’s emperor from 1926 until his death in 1989. His recorded message was broadcast nationwide at noon on August 15, 1945, and became known as the Jewel Voice Broadcast. It was the first time many Japanese citizens had heard the emperor’s voice.
In the speech, Hirohito referred to the new and destructive power of the atomic bomb and the changing military situation. He instructed the Japanese government to accept the Potsdam Declaration, though he did not use a simple direct sentence stating that Japan had surrendered.
Hirohito remained emperor after the war, while Japan was occupied and its political system was transformed. The formal surrender still required a separate signing ceremony aboard USS Missouri on September 2.