The formal Japanese surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri lasted about 23 minutes.
The proceedings began at approximately 9:02 a.m. Japan Standard Time on September 2, 1945, when General Douglas MacArthur addressed the assembled representatives and the worldwide radio audience. The ceremony concluded at about 9:25 a.m., after the Japanese and Allied representatives had signed the Instrument of Surrender.
Despite its enormous historical importance, the ceremony was deliberately brief and tightly organized. The Japanese delegation signed first, followed by MacArthur, Admiral Chester Nimitz, and representatives of the other Allied powers. Seating arrangements, signing order, and the placement of microphones were planned in advance.
The 23-minute duration is sometimes confused with the time the ship remained in Tokyo Bay or the time at which the surrender took effect. The Missouri and accompanying Allied vessels were present much longer. The legal surrender became effective at 9:25 a.m., when the ceremony ended.