Original Copy of Emperor Showa’s Announcement of Japan’s Surrender in WWII to Be Displayed at National Archives of Japan

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:16 JST, July 18, 2025

The original copy of the “Imperial Rescript of the Termination of the War” will be shown at a special exhibition held at the National Archives of Japan in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, starting Saturday.

The special exhibition features about 30 valuable items, including the imperial rescript owned by the archives, to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the beginning of the postwar era.

According to the archives, the decision to surrender was made at an Imperial Council meeting held in the presence of Emperor Showa from Aug. 9 to 10, 1945. The drafting of the “Imperial Rescript of the Termination of the War” began after the decision was made.

After the draft was reviewed at an Imperial Council meeting on Aug. 14, the Emperor recorded his reading of the rescript. This led to the broadcast of the Emperor’s announcement of Japan’s surrender on Aug. 15.

The original copy will be on display between Aug. 8 and 21 during the special exhibition. Visitors will be able to observe traces of corrections, such as added words, which reveal the meticulous consideration given to the document’s content and the careful selection of words to persuade the nation and military amid the chaos leading up to the war’s end, according to the archives.

Also on display will be the original Imperial Rescript declaring war on the United States and Great Britain on Dec. 8, 1941, as well as damage reports from the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Materials on occupation policy will also be presented, including a Japanese translation of a document prepared by the Japanese government when the General Headquarters of the Allied Forces instructed the government to abolish the Peace Preservation Law after the war.

“The ‘end of the war’ in Japan is not just the day the war ended. It also marks the true beginning of Japan’s postwar era. We hope this exhibition will provide an opportunity to consider the connection between the wartime era and the present,” said a National Archives of Japan archivist.

The special exhibition will run until Sept. 15. The archives will be closed on Aug. 25. Opening hours are from 9:15 a.m. to 5 p.m., and until 8 p.m. on Fridays. Admission is free.