General Douglas MacArthur opened Japan's formal surrender ceremony at 9:02 a.m. on September 2, 1945.
The ceremony took place aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. MacArthur stepped before microphones and made opening remarks before the Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender. The ceremony was broadcast around the world and lasted about 23 minutes.
The timing is separate from several other important times associated with the event. The Japanese delegation arrived at approximately 8:56 a.m. Mamoru Shigemitsu signed at about 9:04, and MacArthur accepted the document at about 9:08. The proceedings concluded at 9:25 a.m.
The exact time is often confused with 8:15 a.m., the Hiroshima bombing time, or with 9:25 a.m., when MacArthur closed the ceremony. These separate timestamps help distinguish the surrender ceremony from the events that preceded it.