Japan’s surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri lasted approximately 23 minutes.
The ceremony took place on the morning of 2 September 1945 in Tokyo Bay. General Douglas MacArthur opened proceedings at about 9:02 a.m., and the ceremony ended at approximately 9:25 a.m. after the Japanese and Allied representatives had signed the instrument.
The event was deliberately concise but highly structured. Mamoru Shigemitsu and Yoshijirō Umezu signed for Japan, followed by MacArthur and representatives of nine Allied countries. The document was signed in duplicate, with one copy intended for the Allied powers and another for Japan.
The short duration contrasts with the enormous historical consequences of the event. The signing ended organized hostilities between Japan and the Allied powers, while the occupation and the legal consequences of the war continued for years. It is also why 2 September is often distinguished from the earlier surrender announcement on 15 August.