At Japan’s 1945 surrender ceremony, which Allied commander accepted the Instrument of Surrender?

Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan’s Instrument of Surrender at the 1945 ceremony.

MacArthur served as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and presided over the ceremony aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. He signed the document for the Allied powers using five pens, later giving several to participants and institutions.

MacArthur’s role reflected his command authority in the occupation and surrender arrangements for Japan, although other Allied commanders and national representatives also played important roles. Admiral Chester Nimitz signed for the United States after MacArthur, while representatives from other Allied countries signed afterward.

The ceremony was brief and highly formal. MacArthur delivered opening and closing remarks, but he did not personally sign on behalf of every Allied nation. The surrender document itself was signed by Japanese foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu before the Allied signatures were added.