Hirohito first addressed the Japanese public by radio in the 1945 surrender broadcast.
Hirohito, formally known after his death as Emperor Shōwa, recorded the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War in the Imperial Palace on August 14, 1945. NHK broadcast the recording to the Japanese public at noon on August 15.
The broadcast was historically significant because ordinary Japanese citizens had never previously heard the emperor’s voice. His speech used highly formal language and referred to Japan accepting the Potsdam Declaration. A radio announcer clarified the practical meaning afterward because many listeners found the wording difficult to understand.
Hirohito remained emperor after the war, although Japan’s postwar constitution transformed the institution and defined the emperor as a symbol of the state. He reigned until his death in 1989, making him Japan’s longest-reigning modern emperor.