Hirohito was Japan’s emperor when Japan announced its surrender in World War II.
On August 15, 1945, Hirohito’s recorded address was broadcast to the Japanese public. He stated that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration, although he used formal language and did not simply say that Japan had surrendered. The broadcast became known as the Gyokuon-hōsō, or “Jewel Voice Broadcast.”
It was historically significant because it was the first time most Japanese people had heard their emperor’s voice. The recording’s poor sound quality and classical court language made it difficult for many listeners to understand. Officials subsequently clarified that Japan had accepted the Allied surrender terms.
Hirohito remained emperor after the war, but Japan’s political system changed substantially under the Allied occupation. He renounced the traditional claim that the emperor was divine, and the postwar constitution defined the emperor as a symbol of the state rather than a sovereign ruler with political power.