At what time did the September 2, 1945 surrender ceremony officially end the war?
Answer
9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time
The September 2, 1945 surrender ceremony officially ended the war at 9:25 a.m. Japan Standard Time.
The signing took place aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The ceremony began shortly after 9 a.m., with Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijirō Umezu signing for Japan before General Douglas MacArthur and the Allied representatives signed for the opposing powers.
The event lasted approximately 23 minutes. After all signatures were completed, MacArthur delivered concluding remarks and closed the proceedings. The recorded end time, 9:25 a.m., is distinct from the times associated with Japan’s earlier public announcement and the start of the ceremony.
This precise time is useful because the end of the war is often described using several different milestones. Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast occurred on August 15, while the legal and ceremonial completion of the surrender occurred on September 2.
The document ordered Japanese forces to cease hostilities and comply with Allied instructions. Fighting did not stop simultaneously everywhere, however, because communications were uneven and some Japanese units surrendered later.