Editing Hirohito surrender broadcast (section)

== Broadcast ==
{{See also|Kyūjō incident}}
Many elements of the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] refused to accept that Hirohito was going to end the war, believing it [[Bushido|dishonourable]]. As many as 1,000 officers and army soldiers raided the Imperial Palace on the evening of August 14, 1945 to destroy the recording. The rebels were confused by the layout of the palace and unable to find the recordings, which had been hidden in a pile of documents. The two phonographs were labelled ''original'' and ''copy'' and successfully smuggled out of the palace, the original in a [[Japanese lacquerware|lacquer box]] and the copy in a lunch bag. Major [[Kenji Hatanaka]] attempted to halt the broadcast at the NHK station, but was ordered to desist by the [[Eastern District Army (Japan)|Eastern District Army]].<ref name=therisingsun /><ref name=Rescript>{{Cite web|url=http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2012/August%202012/0812keeper.aspx |title=Hirohito's "Jewel Voice Broadcast" |publisher=The Air Force Association |date=August 2012 |access-date=August 14, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910212019/http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2012/August%202012/0812keeper.aspx |archive-date=September 10, 2013}}</ref>

On the morning of August 15, 1945, all NHK stations announced that the Emperor would address the nation at noon. Many people wore formal clothes for the occasion. At precisely noon that day, an NHK announcer instructed the nation to stand for an announcement "of the highest importance." The national anthem, {{Transliteration|ja|[[Kimigayo]]}}, was played, followed by the Emperor's speech.<ref name=therisingsun /><ref>{{cite book|title=Japan: From Shogun to Sony, 1543-1984|last=Roberson|first=John|date=1985|publisher=[[Atheneum Books]]|isbn=9780689310768}}</ref>{{rp|160}} Reportedly, this was the first time that common Japanese had heard the voice of any Japanese Emperor and the first radio address by the Emperor.<ref name=Rescript/><ref>{{cite web|first1=Mark|last1=Jarnes|access-date=2022-01-30|title=The Emperor's speech: lucid but appropriately indirect|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2016/08/29/language/emperors-speech-lucid-appropriately-indirect/|date=29 August 2016|website=The Japan Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first1=Kenzaburo|last1=Oe|access-date=2022-01-30|title=The Day the Emperor Spoke in a Human Voice|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/07/magazine/the-day-the-emperor-spoke-in-a-human-voice.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=7 May 1995|issn=0362-4331|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>

To ease the anticipated confusion, after the conclusion of the speech, a radio announcer clarified that the Emperor's message had meant that Japan was surrendering. According to French journalist [[Robert Guillain]], who then lived in [[Tokyo]], upon the announcement's conclusion, most Japanese retreated to their homes or places of business for several hours to quietly absorb and contemplate the significance of the announcement.{{r|Guillain}} A [[Remaster|digitally remastered]] version of the broadcast was released in June 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 1, 2015 |title=当庁が管理する先の大戦関係の資料について |url=http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/kunaicho/koho/taisenkankei/index.html |access-date=December 27, 2017 |publisher=[[Imperial Household Agency]] |language=ja}}</ref>