Japan’s formal surrender ceremony officially ended at 9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time on 2 September 1945.
The signing ceremony aboard USS Missouri began shortly after 9 a.m. in Tokyo Bay. Japanese representatives signed first, followed by General Douglas MacArthur and representatives of the Allied powers. After the final signatures and MacArthur’s closing remarks, the proceedings ended at 9:25 a.m.
This precise time is different from several other important moments in the surrender story. Emperor Hirohito’s radio announcement was broadcast at noon on 15 August in Japan. The Japanese government had communicated acceptance to the Allies earlier, and the official signing ceremony occurred weeks later. These events are connected but are not interchangeable.
The end time is significant because it marks the completion of the document that formally ended hostilities with the Allied powers. The ceremony itself lasted 23 minutes, making the timing a particularly crisp detail of the event.