Japan’s surrender ceremony officially ended at 9:25 a.m. Tokyo time aboard USS Missouri. The final signatures had been completed, and General Douglas MacArthur closed the proceedings after the Japanese and Allied delegations signed the instrument.
The ceremony began shortly after 9:00 a.m. The first Japanese signature was placed at 9:04, MacArthur signed at 9:08, and the final Allied representatives signed between 9:12 and 9:22. The short ceremony lasted about 23 minutes.
The document took effect at 9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time on September 2, 1945. Although the war’s major fighting had already stopped after Japan’s acceptance of the Allied terms, the signed instrument provided the formal legal act of capitulation.
Time zones explain some different dates associated with V-J Day. The surrender announcement reached the United States on August 14 local time, while Japan heard it on August 15. The formal ceremony remained September 2 in Tokyo.