Harry S. Truman announced Japan’s surrender in a nationwide broadcast on 14 August 1945.
Truman told the American public that Japan had accepted the Allied terms and that a formal surrender ceremony would follow. His broadcast was carried in the United States on the evening of 14 August, while it was already 15 August in Japan because of the time difference.
This timing explains why V-J Day is associated with both 14 and 15 August in different countries and historical accounts. Truman also emphasized that the formal proclamation of V-J Day would wait until Japan signed the surrender terms.
The announcement came after Japan communicated its acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. Emperor Hirohito’s recorded message was broadcast to Japanese listeners shortly after noon on 15 August Japan Standard Time, a separate event from Truman’s American broadcast.