Eight Allied powers besides the United States signed Japan’s surrender instrument aboard USS Missouri.
After Douglas MacArthur signed for the Allied powers and Chester W. Nimitz signed for the United States, representatives of eight additional Allied governments signed. They were China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
This arrangement produced signatures from nine Allied governments in total, not counting MacArthur’s command signature. The representatives signed in a planned sequence on the morning of 2 September 1945.
The list reflects the coalition that had fought Japan across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Some countries had distinct military commands or major wartime roles, while others were represented as Allied governments. The ceremony was international even though the ship was an American battleship and the United States hosted the event.