Nine Allied governments supplied representatives who signed Japan’s surrender document in 1945.
The governments were the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. General Douglas MacArthur also signed, but he did so as Supreme Commander for the Allied powers rather than as the representative of an additional government.
The arrangement emphasized that Japan was surrendering to a coalition, not solely to the United States. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed for the United States, while General Hsu Yung-chang represented China. The other Allied signatories included senior officers from the United Kingdom, Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
Counting can cause confusion because the ceremony included Japanese signatories, MacArthur, Allied witnesses, and many observers. The precise answer to the number of Allied governments represented as signatories is nine. The surrender instrument identified the participating powers and set out Japan’s obligations under the Allied terms.