Nine Allied national representatives signed Japan’s surrender document after MacArthur.
The representatives signed for the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. General Douglas MacArthur signed first in his role as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz then signed for the United States.
The arrangement reflected both the global nature of the war against Japan and the participation of Allied governments in the Pacific conflict. Each representative signed on behalf of a particular government rather than as part of a single undifferentiated Allied delegation.
The nine national signatures are distinct from the Japanese delegation. Japan sent eleven representatives to the ceremony, but only Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijirō Umezu signed the instrument. This difference explains why accounts may mention eleven Japanese delegates but nine Allied national signatories.