NHK broadcast Emperor Hirohito’s surrender recording across Japan in 1945.
NHK was then known as the Japan Broadcasting Corporation. Its technicians visited the Imperial Palace on 14 August to record the Emperor reading the surrender rescript.
Hirohito made two recordings because the first attempt was considered unsatisfactory. The second recording became the official version. Palace staff then protected the records during a failed military coup attempt by officers who wanted to stop the surrender announcement.
At noon on 15 August, NHK introduced the address as an announcement of the highest importance. The broadcast was historically significant because it was the first time most Japanese subjects had heard the Emperor’s voice. Poor audio quality, formal language, and unfamiliar pronunciation meant that some listeners did not immediately understand that Japan had accepted surrender terms.