Who broadcast Japan's acceptance of the Allied surrender terms to the Japanese public in 1945?

Emperor Hirohito broadcast Japan's acceptance of the Allied surrender terms to the Japanese public in 1945.

His recorded address, known as the Gyokuon-hōsō or Jewel Voice Broadcast, was transmitted at noon Japan Standard Time on August 15. It announced acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration and instructed Japan's armed forces to end resistance.

The recording was difficult for many listeners to understand because Hirohito used formal, classical Japanese and the audio quality was poor. Many civilians heard the emperor's voice for the first time. The speech did not use the plain phrase “Japan surrenders,” but its meaning was understood as the end of the war.

The broadcast preceded the formal signing by eighteen days. That distinction matters: August 15 is often observed as V-J Day in Japan and several other countries, while September 2 marks the signed surrender aboard USS Missouri. The emperor later remained on the throne during the Allied occupation, but his political and religious status changed substantially.