The 1945 surrender ceremony officially ended at 9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time aboard USS Missouri.
The ceremony began shortly after 9:00 a.m. in Tokyo Bay. Mamoru Shigemitsu signed first for the Japanese government, followed by Yoshijiro Umezu for Imperial General Headquarters. General Douglas MacArthur then accepted the surrender for the Allied powers.
The remaining Allied representatives signed in sequence, including Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz for the United States and representatives of China, Britain, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
The ending time marks the completion of the formal legal ceremony, not the moment Japan first announced its decision. Emperor Hirohito’s radio broadcast occurred on August 15, while the surrender instrument was signed on September 2.