Nine Allied governments signed Japan’s formal surrender instrument in Tokyo Bay.
The signatories represented the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. General Douglas MacArthur signed as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, while Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed for the United States. The other Allied representatives signed in sequence after them.
Japan had two representatives sign the document: Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu for the Japanese government and General Yoshijiro Umezu for Imperial General Headquarters. They were joined by nine additional Japanese delegates who attended but did not sign as the principal national representatives.
The number nine can be confused with the total number of Japanese delegates or with the number of Allied representatives. The ceremony included many military officers, but the formal Allied national signatories represented nine governments. Their signatures made the September 2 ceremony an international act rather than a solely American-Japanese arrangement.