Nine Allied nations signed Japan’s surrender instrument in Tokyo Bay in 1945.
The Allied signatories represented the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. General Douglas MacArthur signed first for the Allied powers, followed by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz as the U.S. representative and the other national representatives.
The number nine refers to Allied nations represented as signatories, not to the number of Japanese delegates. Japan sent two representatives: Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu. Several Allied commanders and observers were also present, so the total number of people at the ceremony was much larger than the number of signing nations.
The ceremony took place aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. The participating countries reflected the major Allied powers and governments that had fought Japan or supported the final settlement. Their signatures gave the surrender document its international character.