Nine Allied countries sent representatives who signed Japan’s surrender instrument in 1945.
The participating Allied countries were the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Douglas MacArthur signed first for the Allied powers as Supreme Commander, and representatives of those nine countries then signed in sequence.
The number nine refers to countries whose representatives signed the document, not the number of signatures on the entire instrument. Japanese representatives also signed, and MacArthur signed in his command capacity before the national representatives added their signatures. This distinction can make simple counts confusing.
The ceremony’s signatories reflected the coalition that had fought Japan across the Pacific and Asia. Some nations, such as China, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, had experienced direct fighting or occupation in the wider Pacific War. The Soviet Union had entered the war against Japan only in August 1945, but it was included among the Allied signatories at the formal ceremony.