Japan's formal surrender took effect at 9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time on September 2, 1945.
The ceremony aboard USS Missouri began shortly after 9 a.m. MacArthur opened the proceedings at 9:02, and the Japanese and Allied representatives signed the instrument in sequence. The proceedings concluded at approximately 9:25, when the surrender became effective.
This time is distinct from the times associated with Japan's announcement. Hirohito's recorded surrender address was broadcast at noon on August 15 in Japan, while the formal instrument was signed more than two weeks later. The difference between announcement, signing, and legal effectiveness accounts for several times and dates in historical summaries.
The ceremony was held according to Japan Standard Time, which is UTC+9. Newspapers and military records in other countries sometimes used local time or converted the event to their own time zones, so the calendar date could differ outside Japan. The central event remained the signing in Tokyo Bay.