Nine Allied governments signed Japan’s surrender document after MacArthur.
The representatives came from the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Each signed on behalf of a separate Allied government during the ceremony aboard USS Missouri.
General Douglas MacArthur signed first as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz then signed for the United States, followed by the other national representatives. The sequence reflected both the Allied command structure and the coalition that had fought Japan.
The number nine is sometimes confused with the total number of people at the ceremony. Japan had two principal signatories, while additional Japanese delegates attended. MacArthur and nine Allied national representatives also signed, making the ceremony’s signatory count larger than the number of Allied governments.